Page 16 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

Interesting. I was now virtually indestructible then, as long as my head stayed on my shoulders and my heart free from pointy objects.

I tuned Lark out as he began to move on to vampire hierarchy and politics, paying just enough attention to level a hard gaze at some of the living vamps who tried to stare me down when Lark mentioned the position the undead held over the living. One girl in particular seemed a little more hostile than the rest for whatever reason and I flashed her a little bit of fang in warning, satisfied when she dropped her head and turned around stiffly.

There were only newly awoken living vamps in this class, plus me. Those a year ahead had different classes than the basics I would have to go through, so I would have to wait to talk to Hayes about my suspicions. I didn't necessarily trust him, but I needed more information than I had right now and with the bond between us it was in his best interests to keep me alive. I was pretty sure anyway.

The lesson wrapped up and the group of us began to shuffle towards the door. Newly awoken living vampires turned up at Ashvale most days and I couldn't imagine anything more miserable than giving that same introductory lesson over and over for eternity. I wondered if it was some kind of punishment decided by the council of vampires who held court. The good thing about Ashvale was that this wasn't a school, technically—there weren't any grades or passing or failings, there was just information, training. If I wanted to survive in this new world then I needed to arm myself with as much knowledge as I could. But while sanctuary attendance was mandatory, Lark had explained, I was under no obligation to actually participate. So with that in mind, I skipped our next class in favour of finding Hayes. I wasn't sure that it could wait any longer, not if I was right and someone or something had done this to me deliberately, had let me survive when I should have been put down, and they were either here with us, or had deliberately sent me here in the hopes of... something.

A familiar figure appeared ahead of me, and I followed as Hayes walked in the other direction. I rolled my eyes. He knew I was here. With the bond humming happily between us there was no way he didn't.

I appeared by his side, using my speed to catch up to him. "I need to talk to you."

"So talk." His eyes never once strayed to my face, he just stared straight ahead as we walked on.

I grabbed his arm and pulled us to a stop, tugging him into the alcove nearby. "This is nostalgic."

Hayes scowled, turning to walk away when I grabbed him again.

"Oh get over it. We kissed a bit. It meant nothing. You're still an insufferable prick and I'm not suddenly falling to your feet. I need your help."

A spluttering noise came from our right and I blinked in surprise at the girl from Lark’s class. Clearly this was the reason why she'd seemed to dislike me more than the others—I had something she wanted.

Hayes raised an eyebrow and I dismissed the girl without another look as I spoke quietly. "I don't think my death was some random thing. I think something or someone from our world was involved."

"And why would you think that?" The doubt in his voice only fueled my fire and I examined my nails as if bored while I spoke to him.

"I shouldn't be alive. Rogue undead are put down, but I awoke clean and unmarred within spitting distance of Ashvale, and you heard Elowen—someone gave the order for retrieval rather than death. You even said that you’d been expecting me!"

"Because it was close to your nineteenth birthday, not because we knew you would be murdered." He rolled his eyes and I bit back my frustration.

"Look. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Not."

I gaped as he stepped out and away from me, continuing to walk on, unhurried.

"The bond means this affects you too! Especially if someone wants to come back and finish the job," I called after him and he stilled.

"It's not enough. There are a million possible reasons for everything you just said. You need more evidence because without it you have nothing."

"You don't think I know that?" I hissed as I found myself in his space. "I don't know where to start."

His eyes assessed my face, his mouth tightening and then relaxing as he seemed to realise I wasn't going to drop this. "Motive. Who would want you dead? Or maybe the better question, who would want you alive?"

"You think my bloodline—"

"It's possible," he interrupted and then shrugged . "You'll find out at your debut I suppose, if they decide to claim you for their line."

"And if they don't?"

There was a flicker of pain in my chest that didn't belong to me and I frowned as Hayes began to walk away again. "There are worse things in life."

Once awoken, all vampires living and dead had their debut to be presented to the monarchs and council. It was a chance for the vampiric parents to claim their wayward children, if they found them worthy—in this world, your bloodline meant a lot when it came to your reputation and respect owed. For some, being claimed by their sire line was about power, for others it was a homecoming. A reunion. I wasn’t sure what the future held for me and my heritage, nor what I hoped might come of it.

Hayes' response told me at least one thing about him that I hadn't known before: whoever his sire line belonged to, they hadn't claimed him. With our bond binding us for as long as we lived, he would be counting on my sire line claiming me if he hoped to have any power or respect within the vampiric world. Without it, they just might eat him alive.

ChapterNine

I wasn't reallysure how I was going to get any evidence to support my theory about my death—maybe Hayes had been right, maybe I was looking for something that wasn't there and should just be grateful that I had this second chance.

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