Page 141 of Academy of the Wicked, Year One

"Now we just need that hissy vampire. Where's Damien? Haven't seen him all morning. Did he go get blood packs or something?"

Their silence makes my smile fade.

"What? What happened?"

"Damien left our group," Nikolai says quietly. "Which is probably the missing requirement we need for Year 1 graduation since he's a royal vampire."

"What do you mean he left?" I frown. "Why would he leave? And I'm a vampire and royal. Why don't I count?"

"It's about power dynamics and balance," Nikolai explains. "Damien has potential pureblood qualities, which over-qualifies him beyond normal royal status. We need someone with a unique blend of traits to stabilize us." He gestures around the room. "Cassius has Lord potential. I'm a Fae Heir with a secured throne. You're a triple threat – vampire, magic user, and royal. With Mortimer as our Seven guide, we would've been complete, but Damien left."

"Why?" I huff, crossing my arms. "What, is he jealous or something?"

Their silence speaks volumes.

"He likes you," I say to Nikolai, whose frown deepens.

"Our dynamic is...fluid," Cassius explains carefully. "There are times when vampires crave fresh blood. I'm emergency-only since my blood needs magical filtering. Nikolai was the usual choice."

Nikolai sighs, shrugging.

"Blood retrieval gets both parties... aroused," he admits. "We've had our share of one-night things. Guess he assumed it meant more because I let him feed when needed."

"No," I shake my head firmly. "That's not how it works. Just because I fuck someone I like for sexual needs doesn't mean we're in a relationship." I gesture to our bond marks. "This is different…fate, destiny, all that madness. But realistically, he can't assume you two were a thing without asking. Can't gatekeep without an official claim."

Nikolai's slight smile shows appreciation for my understanding.

"Damien thinks differently," he says. "Probably thinks your 'powerful coochie' will steal me away."

My face burns red as Mortimer clears his throat.

Cassius just smirks.

"Anyway," Nikolai's expression turns serious, "stay away from him."

"Why?"

"Because Damien's an ass otherwise," Cassius explains. "At home he's the seductive prince with an explosive temper, but at Wicked Academy, he's intentionally insufferable. And vampires band together. Now that you've taken what he considers 'his'..."

"Right. Vampires and grudges." I sigh heavily. "Don't worry about it. If I have to be a bitch…er, asshole douche…so be it. I've been bullied plenty. Tripped, pushed, thrown off a cliff..."

"What?" they chorus.

I cringe.

"Pretend you didn't hear that. Just know I have a bad reaction to water, so avoid that and I'm good."

"What, like you'll melt?" Nikolai asks.

I give him my best 'are you stupid' look.

He shrugs defensively.

"Long story short," I summarize, "I had a man. A good one I thought would be mine. Another guy didn't like that, so he orchestrated some bullying. One thing led to another, and apparently dunking my head in water for 45 minutes was hilarious."

Their horrified stares make me shrug uncomfortably.

"Just fun and games, right? Watch the silver-haired bitch they deemed worthless fight for breath, makeup streaming... apparently entertaining for paranormals." I force a casual tone. "So yeah, slight PTSD there. Help me avoid those situations and I won't spiral into maddening chaos."

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