CHAPTER THREE
"Can someone explain a vampire's fangs to me?" Professor Rafeson looks around the room like a shark as it circles its prey. Savanna's hand flies into the air like a dart, "A vampire has two sets of fangs. The front fangs are used for biting, fighting, and draining blood from its victims, while the second set of fangs carry the venom that allows vampires to turn humans."
Rafeson nods, "Good, now can anyone else tell me what traits a vampire has?" He looks around the room as if he's on the hunt. His eyes land on me. "Gemma?" The world is cruel. I clear my throat and force a note of certainty into my voice, "Vampires are fast, but only at night because the sun makes them somewhat weak. At night, they have the strength of ten men and heightened senses. Their most noticeable trait is their eyes that turn red at even the slightest hint of blood."
"You're quite right," he gives me an approving glance before he changes the topic to night and day hunting. His words enter my ears like I'm underwater. I glance at Quincy to see if she's any better. I catch her in the middle of eating a granola bar. She looks satisfied as she eats it like there's a shortage. My stomach growls at the sight, I want a snack.
The rest of the class seems to blend, and when the bell finally rings. I shuffle my things into my bag and dash for the cafeteria. I'm starting to feel like Quincy with my sudden need for food. I should have eaten more at breakfast.
As I step into the cafeteria I notice several trainees hungrily eating today's hot meal. The lunch line is long as each of us grabs a tray and shovels today's selection onto our plates. "Is your Pepere picking you up after the next class, or are you jaywalking home?" Quincy asks. She shovels a scoop of Mac n' cheese onto her tray, and I follow her over to our table.
I smile, "He's picking me up; they don't think it's safe for me to take an uber since the number of reported vampire sightings has risen." We sit down and I take a bite of soup. "Don't they know that you're one of the best? You can take care of yourself, especially with that stake you always keep in your boot, ready to pop some fake vamps' tits." I cough and choke on the soup. I wipe my mouth with a napkin, "That mouth of yours," I shake my head.
"What can I say? I'm a classy lady." Quincy gives me a wink. "Seriously though, you're the most prepared person I know." I try to be. I catch sight of Fletcher out of the corner of my eye and notice him take a seat at the teacher's table. "I'm such a mess," I whisper and move the spoon in my soup around. Men, a species I'm too unfamiliar with.
Quincy hears me and gently places a hand on my shoulder, "You are not and have never been a mess; you're just you. When you do meet the right person you'll know. You'll want to be around them all the time. It'll be explosive, like nothing you've ever felt before, and it'll confuse you beyond any measure, but it'll feel right. At least that's how I imagine it'll be." Quincy's face turns red like a hot iron under fire. She surprises me more every day. "Quincy, never change." She laughs, "Ditto, my bosom buddy."
"But seriously, do you know love from personal experience? Come on tell me." I bet she does. She looks away quickly, "Of course not, just what I imagine it'll be like with my virtual hoes." She shoves a bite of food into her mouth and looks away guiltily.
Dmitri stops at our table with a minion on either side, one holds his lunch tray, and the other his backpack. "You'll imagine like what'll be?" He questions. Quincy's face turns a darker shade of red. "Nothing!" She all but yells, and draws more than a few looks in our direction.
"Right," he mutters, clearly annoyed at being kept out of the loop. "Anyway, just a heads up, Knightly, I hear that Dean Tremaine has approved eight seniors to go on an assignment sanctioned by The Eye. My sources tell me that it'll be You, Savanna, Beatrice, Hudson, Paul, Duke, and myself, of course. I was also able to pull some strings and get Quincy here added to the list." Quincy does her best to hide a smile. "Do you know where they plan to send us?" I ask, slightly excited. He looks around to, make sure no one can hear us, "No, but I hear it'll be Fletcher is set to lead the mission," he glances at the teacher's table. Quincy grins, "The sly fox himself."
One of Dmitri's minions steps forwards and whispers in his ear. Dmitri turns to us, "Well, I seem to have an appointment. I guess I'll see you two around," his eyes linger on Quincy as he walks away. He goes to his reserved table on the other side of the room. His table is equipped with a silver tablecloth and crystal utensils. He sits down across from a young blonde student. They whisper to each other and laugh. I glance at Quincy, she looks sad as she viciously attacks the rest of her food. I can tell any remark on my part will be rebuffed or denied, so I keep quiet. Oh, Quincy.
As the last bell of the day sounds, I make my way to the front of the school, where dozens of cars are parked. On the weekends, trainees can go home to be close to their families. Unfortunately, Quincy's Mom lives in Colorado with her third husband, so Quincy only visits her on Holidays. She usually sticks around Infiniteye on the weekends. I have tried to get her to come home with me, but every time she just keeps making all these full-house references. Pepere, as on time as ever, sits out front in his truck as he waits out front for me. "Hey, kiddo, how did classes go this week?" He asks as I get in. "Ooh, clearly not good," he takes in my bruised eye.
"Don't worry; I'm sure karma will get her." Or maybe I will if this is how the rest of the semester will go. Usually, when we train, I hold back because I don't honestly want to hurt anyone, not even Savanna. I can't believe she bopped me in the face with her fist; that just pisses me off. She'll get her own, of that, I'm sure.