Chapter 7

Behind the scenes: Our Lady of Carnation Valley is supposed to be just like any other Carvalle school with a lot of students, but Ashley wants something different for a new Carvalle story. The author wants a tight “isolated” school that makes you feel like you’re alone and claustrophobic.

Lookin’ for something sweet
When it comes time to eat
You better start to run when I call
‘Cause I know that you don’t really know
How to handle it
So get down on your knees
And get ready to become my bitch
-World Class Sinner

“Why the ever-loving f*ck is your hair wet, and why you smell like another vampire?” Leo looks down at me with stern eyes, while Salve had his arms crossed on the bed. To say I was intimidated is an understatement.

“Yeah Jude, why do you smell like you f*cked another vampire?” Salve glares at me. He can be quite jealous, and I could never fault him for feeling that way. What I can’t understand though… is why Leo’s pissed. He’s glaring at me with intense dark eyes I could stumble trying to navigate in.

I answer him, “I was swimming with Glass. He invited me—”

Without another word, he grabbed my jaw and pushed my head side to side, inspecting my neck of any bites. He looked to be fearful of what Glass may have done to me. “Did he hurt you? I don’t see any bites, did he feed on you somewhere else?!”

“Leo, relax! He didn’t—” I held his hand while it was on me, and my vision distorted yet again. I was surrounded by my voice—which isn’t my own, but Leo’s pained yell.

“PLEASE! Save her!” I was kneeling outside the door of the convent. Looking down, I saw a woman lying still, eyes open. I was begging the man by the door, “Turn her! Save her life, DO SOMETHING!”

“Leo. She’s dead… there’s nothing we can do.”

“No you can’t—!” I was crying so heavily, I can’t see the man’s face from the tears flooding my eyes.

“Is there something you want to confess, Leo?”

I shake my head, “I didn’t mean to. I was so hungry. I couldn’t—I couldn’t stop myself. She just stopped moving and—Monsignor PLEASE she’s innocent! She doesn’t deserve death! She’s innocent, I beg you!”

“She’s with God now, Leo. Your confession should be about your inability to follow orders, resulting to the death of our Chef. Only God can judge you, and only God shall you confess your sins to.”

I tore my hand off Leo with a gasp, my body shaking as I stepped away from him. He looked at me wondering why I reacted strangely. “Jude?”

I was frozen, throat tight and unable to say anything.

“Jude… you can’t be alone with only one of them. You could’ve gotten violated! Do you know what I’d do to everyone here if something happens to you?” Leo says, quite fast and rapid.

I pressed my back to the wall, fingers digging into my wet sleeves as if I could wring the memory out of them. My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like it was echoing through the room. “I—I’m sorry…”

“Don’t tell him!” Salve exclaims, getting up from the bed and cautiously looking at Leo, “Jude, you shouldn’t tell any of them your visions yet. Come on, we can’t trust what these vampires say. You need to keep it to yourself for now.”

I just saw him cry over a woman he killed over his thirst, Leo isn’t a bad guy.

“You don’t know that!” Salve exclaims. “Don’t forget who turned you into a vampire instead of letting you die in peace.”

I stopped, looking at Leo whose eyes are filled with pure concern over me. Salve was right… it was Leo who wanted me alive above all. It’s him to blame for who I’ve become.

Salve adds, “These vampires want something from you, don’t let your guard down.”

I suck in a breath, looking at this gorgeous Vampire with soft but cautious eyes. The taste of iron from him and Glass still lingered in my mouth, sweet and sharp. “Nothing, Leo. I’m just sorry about going out and swimming with Glass. But he didn’t bite me, I swear.”

He sighed in relief, “Don’t do that again. Glass may not be as manipulative as Evie, but he can still be a vicious feeder. That f*cker drained me today…”

That’s when I noticed the bite in his neck, already scarring after tonight’s feeding. I find myself looking away, “You had to have s*x with him, right?”

I don’t know what I’m feeling. I can’t be possessive over Glass, or jealous that Leo is involved with them. But I don’t like any of it. I hate this arrangement, I hate that we had to deprive our blood of oxygen before it’ll be enough.

“It’s the norm…”

“And you turned me into a vampire knowing d*mn well I’ll get f*cked over my blood?” I suddenly burst out in an angry rant. “It’s hard to believe that you want to keep me safe when you forced me into this life. You made me dependent on blood when I just could’ve died like a human instead of a monster—”

“I don’t want you to die!” Leo exclaims, extremely sensitive about the word, “I’m sorry if I turned you into a m—whatever we are. But I saw an opportunity to save you and I took it. I don’t want to watch you die!”

I stared at anywhere else but him. He still has the nerve to get possessive over me to the point of scolding me for being outside like I’m a child… when in fact, this all could’ve been prevented if he has just let me reunite with Salve.

I was upset about the whole ordeal so I just admit to him, “Glass didn’t feed on me. But I did feed on him.”

“What.” Tension went in between us, and it’s not Salve. He just backed away with his hands up, as if telling me not to blame him if things escalate. Why would Leo get mad? This was bound to happen anyway.

“Yeah,” I more confidently say, “I did it while f*cking him. He was very nice and gentle about it.”

Leo’s eyes don’t look happy, but he looked away to dismiss his thoughts. At the end of the day, I wasn’t bitten. I wasn’t violated, I was just extremely tempted and couldn’t resist. At the end of the day, I’m fine.

“Did Evie join you?” He asks with a low voice.

“No, it was just us.” I sighed. “Other than him help me with my thirst, he did nothing else. But… he did tell me about his powers. He can make me feel…”

“Safe. It’s called Sheltering, he can manipulate  the environment to make you feel like you’re not in danger when in fact, since he’s a vampire, you are.” Leo crossed his thick arms, showing off veins with blood rushing through—stop. Don’t start. I just sucked on Glass and I’m already hungry.

“He can warm up the air, or turn it cold if it means you’ll cuddle next to him. He can silence the environment, make flowers bloom and the sky look a bit more blue. All for you to feel like you’re in a dream, and nothing will ever go wrong. So he’ll sink his teeth into you without resisting.”

That’s way more complex than how Glass described it. I know that feeling… it’s a comforting yet dangerous state to be in. Dangerous in a way that can get me addicted. “What about you, Leo? What can you do?”

Leo sighs at me, “I’ll show you tomorrow. For now, get some rest and prepare for class. Pryce doesn’t like it when we’re late.”

He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving me with Salve, who was sitting on my bed.

“Why would you tell him about what happened with Glass?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” I answered, “If he can f*ck Glass, then I can admit I f*cked him, too. I’m not a virgin, you should know about that.”

Salve rolls his eyes, “Sounds to me like someone’s jealous.”

“I’m not jealous—”

“And I don’t look like that two-toned siren-eyed motherf*cker but we believe differently,” Salve huffed, “I’m going to bed. Join me if you’d like but I’m not cuddling you. Go cuddle Glass!”

Yeah… sounds to me like someone is very jealous.

I was heading to class, early. The hallways are lit up by the gorgeous sun outside, but it only highlighted the grey of the walls—formerly white paint that thinned out over the years. Then the statues of the Lady in between large windows… with Her arms open as if I’m welcomed in them, but I’ve always felt like she’s holding me in place. This place is a beautiful trap… just like Glass’ powers.

I made sure to look at the garden to see if Lucien is out there. He was not, and I felt disappointed I couldn’t see the one innocent person in this garden of monsters. I wonder if he is aware of everything that happens in these walls. Everyone kept telling me I shouldn’t tell him anything that will taint his innocence, so I’m guessing he doesn’t know.

I got into the classroom before Pryce, which means I’m not late. Leo isn’t here yet; just Redd with two D’s, Evie and… Glass waved hello to me with the nicest smile, I had to wave back.

“Getting along quick, are we?” Evie spoke out, looking at me with eyes full of plasticity. Don’t tell me Glass told him about what happened last night…

“Glass told me about what happened last night.” F*ck. I just sat in my chair while Evie glared at me from his seat. “I have no doubt you enjoyed it, Jude. Glass always knows how to make us feel the best. Isn’t that right, baby?”

I watch as Evie took Glass by the chin and kissed him with the passion of lovers from three lifetimes, until he opened his eyes to look at me, clearly showing off.

“Though it’s unfair Glass got a taste of you without me. I had to punish him for that,” Evie says, but Glass only giggles as if welcoming that punishment. I feel sick to my stomach. “I’m guessing Leo didn’t satisfy our newborn enough, but if you stay with us—”

“Enough, Eve…” Leo came into the classroom, bible in his hands. “Stop terrorizing him.”

“Or what, Leo?” Evie stood up so he won’t have to look up at Leo from below, refusing to be under his command. “You speak as if you didn’t enjoy me licking your d*ck as it goes inside my boyfriend, but you won’t even share Jude with us? Talk about unfair.”

My stomach churned hearing about that. Just imagining Leo and Glass together…

“And I’ll cut off your neck and spill it out for him to drink, do you want that?” Leo’s voice pierced through the air without being loud, and it’s because of the way he spits out the words with intent.

“Guys!” I call out, silencing their banter before Leo makes it worse for me. I stood up, pissed as all hell. “I came here to be a servant of God only to be Her vampire child against my will for all eternity until I decide one random year to starve myself. I’m not spending that eternity listening to both of you.”

I’m pissed at both of them. I don’t even know why I’m in such a terrible mood, but I didn’t hide it as I say, “I’m going to Evie’s room tonight.”

“What,” Salve mutters. “Jude Creston, are you insane?!”

I said that while looking straight into Leo’s eyes. I didn’t need to say it, Evie was gonna take me whether I like it or not. I just don’t want to look pathetic as it happens. Both Leo and Redd seemed to glare at me as Glass sat with his pretty little smile. Meanwhile, Evie grinned in victory.

Leo frowns at me, “Jude, you don’t have to—”

“I don’t want to make an enemy out of Evie, I got killed because of that.” In a bold move, I walk towards Evie’s table and shocked everyone in the classroom when I reached for his face. “I’d rather be lovers than enemies, right?”

Without thinking, I kissed Evie in front of everyone. In front of his boyfriend, Glass.

That’s when I saw a flash of a recent memory. While touching Evie I saw Glass in front of me—“So when I have s*x with Jude alone you get a major b*tch fit, but I’m supposed to allow you to f*ck Pryce without me? Baby, please…”

“It’s different, Jude is a newborn and you consummated without me!”

“I didn’t drink his blood. He was thirsty and sad, you know how I am. If you think I cheated, then try to look in the mirror for silver in your mouth…”

I just pressed my lips onto Evie and saw all of that, but it was brief. I wanted more, so I opened and closed my mouth on his lips. I can hear Glass silently gasp, and I can feel Redd and Leo staring daggers into me while Evie’s slender hands held my jaw in place.

They argued last night. Evie was not happy about me sleeping with Glass. I hear Salve in my seat, scoffing. “You just buried your coffin hole deeper, Jude.”

I hear Salve, but I ‘m only focused on how long Evie’s bare fingernails are and they dig into me in a way that made my stomach flutter. I had to pull away to process the goosebumps in my skin. Upon breaking the kiss, I met his eyes which are a bit softer—though still spiteful and proud, he’s looking at me like he’s impressed by my audacity.

“Soft,” he says while looking at my lips.

I snapped out of my trance, stepping away. “Th-thanks… you taste like bubblegum.”

“You’re adorable, pup. See Leo, making friends isn’t so hard.” Evie smiles at the man with a spiteful glare in his eyes. “I think we’re gonna get along great.”

Evie wants nothing more than my blood, and to piss Leo off. That’s when our student representative came inside the classroom, noticing the tension in class. Pryce walks in with his blonde hair neat on his head, the bible encased in his velvet-gloved hands. “Good morning, everyone.”

Then his familiar voice echoes in my head, “Jude, take a seat.”

I gasp, stumbling back when I heard a voice that came from nowhere, ringing in my ears like it was inside my skull. “What was that?! What the hell was that?!”

Both Evie and Glass laughed, “Pryce, you scared him! Do it again…”

“I hate when he does that…” Redd grumbled, while I stood dumbfounded at what I just heard.

“That my dear, is called Echoing.” Pryce took his place at the front of the class, “The talent given to me by God Herself is the ability to manipulate wind and sound, creating vibrations inside the inner ear to speak directly into your mind. Now before we take study the Old vs New Testament, I’d like to brief our new blood about the gifts of Vampirism…”

Pryce only seems to talk to me, “We are already cursed with the thirst and the inability to die—but God is so merciful that She granted us talents to ensure we survive in this world. The Echoing is a way for Vampires to seduce prey into doing our bidding. Although, records have shown many powerful vampires with this gift to be able to manipulate memory itself.”

I find myself intrigued at the mention of memory. Last night, I went inside Redd and Leo’s memories. And today, Evie’s.

“So… you can change memories?” I spoke up, a question that burned in my mind.

“Not quite,” Pryce answers me, “God gives us talents, and it’s up to us to master it. I haven’t had an inch of skills needed to rewrite memories but… I’m getting there.”

Redd rolls his eyes, “You better stay the f*ck away from my head, Pryce.”

“But darling, you’ll be the first one I’ll rewrite,” Pryce sarcastically says, making Redd even grumpier with a clenched fist. Then he taps his fingers on the table and a gust of wind simultaneously opened all of our books. “Let’s look at the Old Testament, shall we? I’m gonna need an essay from each of you after this.”

I wanted to be a servant of God; I wanted to come here and study, isolated from the world in hopes God will forgive me for what I’ve done. But now I realize… is this my divine punishment? Is God looking down at me with mercy, but also judgment?

I see Salve leaning his head against my shoulder, as if he was sitting beside me. But there isn’t a chair beside me, and I can’t feel anyone there.

“Class dismissed,” Pryce announced right as it was time for lunch break, which I learned not everyone eats because… well, they’re vampires who don’t need three meals a day. “Have a blessed noon, everyone.”

Leo turned to look at me as the others stood up preparing to leave. Evie stretched, “I’m gonna take a nap. You coming, baby?”

Glass smiles at me first and without a word, followed Evie outside. Redd didn’t take long to go after them, but he did give me a dirty look.

Leo stood up to leave. “I’m going to make Lucy’s lunch… try not to wander, okay Jude?”

I was left alone with Pryce, who was bookmarking the bible and taking notes for the afternoon lecture. He seems to be taking this very seriously; with sleeves rolled up, shirt barely tucked and his long necktie between his teeth to keep it away from the books.

“Are you not going out, Jude?” He says to me without moving his lips, and it startled me again.

“Godda—please don’t do that all of a sudden!” I exclaim, “It’s freaky, it’s like I have a worm speaking in my ear.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he chuckles while still taking notes, “I communicate with the boys this way. It’s easier than trying to yell through the walls of the convent.”

I decided to ask, “So you’re in charge of everyone?”

“Of course; I’m the oldest. Who else would be taking care of these fledglings?” He chuckles humorously, “Without me, they’d be out there terrorizing the world.”

“What about Lucien?” I ask, which made his smile fade by a ton. “Since I’m one of you now, I think I should know the reason he’s being protected.”

“That’s it, Jude. He’s being protected from the vampires in this convent,” he answers quite seriously. “He doesn’t know anything about Vampirism, nor should he need to know. We should not be talking to him.”

“But he’s lonely…”

“Better alone in the world than in danger of sin,” he replied, closing the bible after finishing his lesson plan for the day. Pryce looks at me with a tilted head and a ghost of a smile. He decided to remove himself off the desk and approach my table. “Your eyes are always red. Has your talents channeled yet, newborn?”

“N-no…”

“Like a deer in headlights…”

“Please stop doing that…” Pryce stood in front of me, but leaned his hips on my table. He reached out to touch my face—but I couldn’t see any visions of his memories. This man was wearing gloves.

“The Monsignor and Leo may have seen something special in you. Your eyes are so expressive… full of innocence.” He held the hollows of my cheek and pushed my face to the side, inspecting my neck. “A virgin… in that way as well.”

I pull my head off him, “What are you talking about, Pryce? I’m not a virgin—”

“Virgins have this smell that not all of us can resist. Drinking blood is a deeply intimate act, even hunting requires vampires to seduce and charm so that the victims’ heart rate will change. It affects the flavor… the sweeter it is, the more they are attracted to you,” he says while ruffling my hair, “Virgin women tend to have the sweetest blood since they haven’t yet felt the pleasure of s*x, it is new to them. You may have slept with a man, but you haven’t been in a woman’s place, have you?”

I couldn’t stop him from weaving his fingers through the wavy curls of my hair, because the pressure of his fingertips felt good. His voice is as smooth yet rich as caramel, moving down a slope in a slow pace.

“Would you like me to show you pure pleasure, without any pain Jude Creston?” Pryce was gentle, charismatic… dangerous. “I can make your blood taste as sweet as you, boy. And when you take mine…”

I can feel his veins, inviting me to pierce through them and making his pale skin bleed with the most gorgeous red. My lips parted, hearing his breath in between his heartbeat. Salve had to yell at me, “Snap out of it!”

“Pryce,” another voice snapped me out of my trance from the doorway, and it was Leo who came back after cooking for Lucien. I wipe my lips off the slight drool that pooled there, looking at Leo while biting my lip to hide their flush. Leo says, “You didn’t give him your blood. You have no claim to him.”

“I can smell his blood the moment I got inside the classroom… it’s hard to resist when such a cute boy is looking at me for hours.”

Leo’s eye twitched. “Stay away from Jude.”

“There he goes again!” sings out Evie who came inside with Glass behind him. Redd stood at the doorway, a witness to our messy conversation. “Don’t you know we’re one big family here, Leo? No one gets to hog anyone.”

Salve snorts, “Says the one who got angry at Glass. Seriously, they’re all demented.”

“But you’re dating Glass, aren’t you Evie?” I spoke up. They all stared at me like I had no business speaking up. But I’m genuinely curious, so I ask, “You share him with everyone… but you also feel possessive over him, do you not? I don’t… really understand your relationship.”

Evie walks toward me, and I feel like I may have stepped over a line. What can they do, though? I’m already in hell.

“Yes. Glass is mine,” he says while glaring at each and every man around him, before landing on me. “Everyone else only borrows him, because I believe we’re one big family who should help each other survive. At the end of the day, I am the only one he goes home to.”

“Sounds to me like you see him as an object.” At that reply, I hear an audible gasp from Glass himself, who widens his sleepy eyes at me. Redd furrows his eyebrows, while Pryce seems to smile at the remark. I couldn’t see what Leo is feeling, because my eyes are all on Evie.

“What did you say?” Evie glares at me.

Meanwhile, Salve rushed to my side. “Jude, you just said you don’t want to make an enemy out of him!”

He should not be talking about Glass like he’s some property. I don’t want any of them to speak of me like I’m the same property to be shared and passed around. I’m a person, though not human.

“All I’m saying is, if I’m gonna be your lover, I’d like to be loved as a person. I want my boundaries to be respected—and if we’re gonna have an open relationship, then everything has to be fair. I don’t want to be possessed the same way you do Glass.” I made a pointed look towards Leo, making sure he knows that last sentence was for him.

I notice Glass with a smile, biting his bottom lip as if trying to suppress it. Pryce has an amused look in his charming face, while the rest of the boys don’t look happy. Evie is still staring at me—eyes to lips, as if fantasizing about all the ways he can punish me tonight.

⭐️VOTE | 💬COMMENT | MERRY CHRISTMAS
Virgil is calling us crying about how he wants to leave his family’s house during Christmas. You can’t handle the karaoke and a classroom of Filipino kids messing with the stuff in his room. Ashley said “that’s what you get for being gay”