Cody Eshe

Just ten steps after passing by Olive and the unfamiliar girl, Alexander felt his fangs throb. The intense urge to sink his teeth into someone overwhelmed him. He looked behind him, his eyes catching hold of the new girl's eyes. Her brown eyes widened in both pain and surprise.

Was he the cause?

"Is something wrong?" Olive asked, seeing how Tulip suddenly looked behind her.

"I have to go back, I'm sorry." Tulip uttered before she dashed off without giving Olive any time to react.

"Wai~" She stopped her futile attempt to stop Tulip.

"She's quick on her feet." Olive muttered heading in the direction Tulip stormed off to.

Alexander stood still, watching both girls passed by him. He wondered if the new girl's presence had anything to do with the throbbing sensation he had felt.

Alexander's phone buzzed in his pocket.

A message from Leo,

'I've found her.'

Alexander tched in annoyance. Couldn't he be more specific?

Alexander's phone buzzed again,

'Come quick! Library now.'

A vein popped on Alexander's temple. What was Leonard doing that he couldn't even afford the time for a proper text?

•••

"Come on, open the door." Olive let out a sigh of frustration. Tulip had locked herself inside her room and refused to let the worried Olive in.

"I just what to check on you."

Tulip stared at her reflection on the mirror. She wanted to let Olive in but not untill she could calm herself down.

Right at the crook of her neck, at the exact spot she felt that searing pain, were two bite marks. They were glowing in a faint orange hue.

She wasn't one hundred percent sure but her skin was smouldering. She splashed some water on it as the glow became fainter and fainter untill it disappear with the bite mark.

'Why a bite mark' Tulip wondered. To the best of her knowledge bite marks don't suddenly appear like that. Surely she would have realized if someone had bitten her even if it were to have happened in her sleep.

Tulip finally opened the door, Olive entered, looking like she had waited an eternity.

"What was wrong?" She asked,

"And why didn't you let me in sooner."

"I'm sorry. It's just that a bee stung me and I had to get my medicine." Tulip lied. Where that lie came from, Tulip didn't know but she was glad she could come up with a good excuse.

"You should have said something." Olive heaved a sigh before she dropped on the bed like her limbs had no more strength.

"I'm sorry. My face gets swollen and I don't want you to see me looking like a balloon." Another lie. She would ask for forgiveness later.

"Nevertheless, I can't show you around again. I'm too exhausted, both emotionally and physically to do right now. Let's make it tomorrow, okay?"

Tulip nodded. She glanced at the clock by at the bedside,

7:34

There was still time before her first lesson.

Olive swung her legs, her upper body on the bed facing the ceiling,

"You a quiet the Lucky one. Not just anyone would be accepted so late into the term. Your family must have some influence then." Olive stated quietly, her legs still swinging.

Her observation caught Tulip unprepared. She never asked how her father had managed to get her admission to CMU but she had heard from him that it was relatively easy. At least easier than he had initially expected.

"I've never heard of the Williams though." Olive added.

"Exactly!" Tulip stood up from the chair she was seating on,

"We are just normal folks. I live with my dad."

"What about your mom." Olive asked.

Her mom! The gift! She had completely forgotten to open it.

7:45

Just when she stood up to go open it, Olive spoke,

"Nevermind my question. We better get going or we'll be late for class. You wouldn't want to have a bad first impression now would you?" Olive said. She took Tulip's hand and dragged her along.

"But I haven't even locked the door!" Tulip complained, but she found herself being dragged away.

"Don't worry about that, nobody's going to check your room."

It ended there for Tulip. She was done trying to reason with Olive. She just let herself get dragged along.

•••

"Are your thumbs injured? Can't you spend a few seconds to type an understandable text." Leonard sunk into his seat as Alex scolded him.

Terra sat at the other side of the table buried in her books.

"What is this suppose to mean?" Alexander showed his phone's screen to Leo. The first message he had sent.

"Calm down first, Alex. It's important." Terra said glancing at him for a few seconds. She pushed the book aside.

"The half-vampire you two discovered, that's who Leo was referring to."

Once Alexander sat up Terra continued,

"Leo did some digging this morning at the office. Her name, Tulip Williams, age: 20 lives in Orion."

Terra passed a sheet to him. The sheet contained more information about Tulip.

"I don't think the staff Know she's a half-vampire." Terra pointed to the part of the sheet that had 'race' on it.

"Here it says she's human."

"Here's her ID." Leo handed another sheet to Alexander.

"Why isn't it a card?"

"Uhm... It's a long story."

"Leo here gave the original to Tulip. He messed up already." Leo looked at Terra with a betrayed expression on his face. He thought they had agreed to keep this between them.

Alexander's sharp intake of breath caused both Terra and Leonard to look at him.

"This face," Alexander muttered.

"Is anything the matter." Terra said.

"Don't tell me you're already falling." Leo received a glare for his comment.

"I've seen her before. She was with that girl Leo's always finding excuses to meet."

"You mean Olive?"

Alexander nodded to Terra's question.

"We will be needing more information. Unfortunately, the one we have isn't enough." Terra said with a tired sigh. She never expected any of this. Last night, Alexander had sent a text to all members of the Heptad, explaining to them what he had gotten to know.

"Want me to sneak into her room?" Leonard asked, looking excited.

"That's a good idea, but you won't be the one going, least you leave any evidence of your presence." Terra was sure Leo would even sleep on the half-vampire's bed.

Leonard scowled at Terra. Surely he could control himself.

"Why not have Cody do it?" Terra suggested, gaining a nod of approval from Alex.

"Contact Cody, Leo."

Leo stared at Terra, his eye narrowed at her,

"Why don't you do it?"

"I don't want to let his hopes up. Took him weeks the last time."

"Fine!" Leonard pulled his cell out of his pocket. His thumbs moved over the screen.

'Cody meet me at the library.'

' I'm busy.'

' Doing what?'

' I'm in class!'

Leonard looked up from his phone,

"Says he's busy. He is in class."

Alexander picked up his phone from the table,

'Come to the library now.'

' I'll be right there!'

"He'll be here in a few minutes." Alexander announced.

'Tsk! That damn kid!' Leonard thought to himself.

It took just five minutes for Cody to arrive.

"Did you run all the way here?" Terra asked the vampire.

"Kinda..." He grinned scratching his sandy blonde hair.

"We need you to go to Rivera. You'll be breaking into one of the rooms. You can manage right?" Alexander said handing Cody the sheets that were with him.

He took a quick glance before he grinned,

"It's about the half-vampire isn't it?"

"Isn't it exciting. The very first female half-vampire I've seen. Can't wait to meet her."

Cody beamed with a smile.

"You would have met a half-vampire if not for us." Came the dead tone from Leonard.

'Right, he's mad at me. ' Cody's smile fell.

"You are the best person for this task. Becareful. If you encounter her make a run for it." Terra warned.

Cody nodded in understanding. Code was tasked with this mission because of his ability. Another genetic mutation in a vampire placing them higher than the rest, the invincibility cloak.

Primarily, all living creature used four out of their five sensory organs to sense the presence of an entity.

Sight, hearing, touch and smell. But humans mainly rely on only sight and hearing to sense an entity. Cody's ability allowed him to completely distort all four senses making him appear non-existent.

But his little magic trick couldn't fool high tier vampire. The half-vampiress would see right through him if he tried.

"I should get going now. Best to do it when she's in class. The odds would be in my favour that way."

Cody turned to leave but he paused,

"I got from the cafeteria on my way here. Think of it as my apology." Cody slipped the can of blood to Leo's side.

"And Cody,"

Cody looked back, starring at Terra who had called his name.

"Don't read too much into this, but be careful, Eshe."

Cody grinned, revealing his fangs. They glimmered like pearls in the light

"That should be the least of your worries Ter."

"I'm off then." He waved at the trio without looking back.