Page 53 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

"Close enough." I pursed my lips as I considered him. "Who gave you the drugs?"

His eyes flicked to each of us, as if looking for someone sympathetic and coming up empty.

"It would be better if you answered us," I said, leaning in close. My thrall skills were not that good yet, but I tried anyway. "Tell me what I want to know."

He swallowed, sweat breaking out across his skin as his head tossed back and forth. I didn't think he was particularly strong-minded, so this had to be something else.

"I don't think he can tell you,” Rowan said and continued when I looked questioningly at him. "I think he's already been enthralled not to tell. By someone more powerful than you, I'm guessing."

"Well thatisa shame. I guess you're of no use to us then."

Dane's eyes widened. "No. Please. I only did what I was told—"

"And look where it got you," I said pityingly, patting him down until I found two small baggies of powder on him.

"We should report this to Elowen.” Rowan touched my arm and I wrinkled my nose, not liking the idea, primarily because I didn't trust Elowen as far as I could throw her—even if that was a significantly greater distance now I was a vampire. He continued staring at me expectantly and I shrugged.

"I’m not your mother. If you want to tell her then go ahead." I handed him one of the baggies as he held out his hand.

"Aren’t you coming?”

“We’ll be right behind you.” I smiled and his eyes narrowed.

"Don't kill him," he said, mouth turning down as he watched me and I nodded sincerely.

"I won't." Which was true enough, I thought as Rowan disappeared inside. After all, I'd promised Dane to Novalie. "He's all yours."

Her wide smile even unnerved me a little as she stepped up to Dane. "I staked myself through both hands to stop myself from going on a killing spree, you piece of shit. I had to lie there, bleeding, for hours. Because of you."

"You chose to do the drugs!" he protested and Emerson shook her head, disgust lining her face.

"We never would have taken it if we'd known what it actually did," she said, moving to stand at Novalie's side. "You said it would make us feel good. That we would be stronger, faster. If you apologise, maybe we'll kill you quickly."

His face twisted into a sneer. "I’m not apologising for some bit-for-nothing, turned vamp."

Novalie struck him so hard I was surprised his neck didn't snap from the force of the blow. "Fucker," she spat and Emerson looked grim but satisfied, happy to let Novalie take the lead as she grabbed Dane’s chin and forced it up. She stared into his eyes and I watched in vague interest as she enthralled him. "When I tell you, this is going to hurt worse than anything you've ever felt. Like you're being torn apart from the inside by a fire that wants to consume you."

I let out a low whistle but didn't stop her. It was the same way she'd described the drug’s effect on her.

"An eye for an eye," Emerson murmured, coming to stand back next to me and I nodded.

Novalie struck, her fangs sinking deeply into his neck. The bite was messy and rivulets of blood slipped down Dane's throat. Novalie pulled back to look at him, spitting his blood out of her mouth like she didn’t want a single part of him in her. Dane's eyes were wide, like shock was setting in and Novalie smiled. “Remember what I said?"

Still held in her thrall, Dane nodded.

“Good. Because this one’s going to hurt.”

She struck and Dane screamed.

* * *

"I can't thankyou all enough for bringing this to my attention," Elowen said as she stood up from behind her desk to study each of us, and then moved to the front and perched against it in that classic ‘we’re equals’ way that teachers often employed. "I will find out who is supplying this drug—but in the meantime, I don't want anybody leaving the sanctuary grounds. Who knows what people might bring in from outside?"

Noavlie gasped. "But what about the debut?" Elowen raised an eyebrow and Novalie explained, "We need to go shopping. I don't have a dress!"

"I feel that the lives of the students here at Ashvale are of a higher value than your need to go dress shopping," Elowen said and I wanted to laugh. I didn't know if it was some kind of magickal ability or what, but I just knew that every word out of her mouth was a lie.

She didn't care about the vampires, or their safety, which begged the question: why did she want to keep us trapped? More than that, a disregard for life and casual outlook on violence was one thing—but to activelythankus for dispatching Dane? It stank of bullshit.

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