The Silver Eyed Prince (Highest Royal Coven of Europe) Page 10

  Elizabeth watched in amazement as the middle segment sunk in and then rose up again, bearing silver trays.

  “Grab yours.” Lela nudged her.

  Elizabeth reached for the tray nearest to her and stared at the goblet and small bowl with a soupspoon next to it. A white linen napkin was neatly folded on the right side.

  “We're having chicken today.” Carlos unfolded his napkin and tucked it in front of his shirt.

  “Chicken?” Elizabeth gave him a questioning glance.

  “That's the appetizer.” Ben pointed at the contents of the small bowl with his spoon. “And this is the entrée.” He tapped the goblet.

  “The entrée is the usual—, human blood,” Lela interjected. “But they give us other varieties for appetizers to condition our palate to the taste. You know—, in case you encounter a sudden craving and you're out of the usual fare.”

  Elizabeth grabbed her spoon, sampled the appetizer, and then spit it back into the bowl. “Yuck! Gross!” she exclaimed with a grimace.

  Lela took a sip from her goblet and urged her to do the same.

  Elizabeth placed her soupspoon face down on the edge of her tray and took a big gulp from her goblet.

  “It tastes nasty at first,” Carlos said between swallows, “but you'll get used to it. You should never let yourself go thirsty even if it is the only choice available.”

  “Why?” Elizabeth asked, still wincing from the gamey taste.

  “Because if you do, you’ll lose control.” Ben made crazy circles with his eyes. “Humans will suddenly smell like food, and then you’ll get tempt—.” He arched a penciled eyebrow and planted his hands on his hips. “Don't you know these things? You're supposed to be a Deimon!”

  Carlos and Lela stopped eating and gaped at her, goblets suspended in mid-air.

  Elizabeth paused from wiping her mouth with the table napkin.

  Would they understand if she told them that she just turned into one about a week ago? Maybe yes—, but then again—, maybe not. What if they toss her out of their clique? God knows she needed friends right now!

  Flustered, she bumped off her spoon, which fell with a loud clang on the granite floor. She quickly bent down to retrieve it, thankful for the distraction, but another hand had already done so.

  “I got it,” a low male voice said.

  Elizabeth looked up and found herself staring at the face of an archangel with eyes the color of deep blood red. He was on one knee, merely inches away from her.

  “Yours?” He held up the spoon.

  “Y-yeah,” Elizabeth took it and mumbled a quick “Thanks.” before sitting on her chair.

  “I'm Chad.” He stood up to his full height.

  “Elizabeth,” she replied, thinking how much taller he was up close. He had broad shoulders, sinewy arms, and his straight blond hair shined like a golden halo beneath the bright chandeliers.

  Loud fits of coughing suddenly attacked Lela and Ben.

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes heavenward. “By the way, these are my friends—, Lela, Ben, and Carlos.”

  “Hey there.” Chad waved at Lela and Ben, and then did a fist bump with Carlos before turning his attention back to Elizabeth. “Nice meeting you. See you guys in class.” He gave her a dimpled smile.

  “Bye,” Elizabeth replied. “Thanks again.”

  He nodded and strolled away.

  “Meeowwrrza!” Ben panted with his tongue sticking out as he made clawing motions after Chad.

  “I think he likes you.” Lela elbowed Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth crinkled her brow and snorted. “Don't be ridiculous! He was just being nice.”

  “Nah-hah!” Carlos piped in. “He was giving you, The Eyes, he stressed the words by flexing his middle and index fingers into quotation marks in the air.

  “I would jump on him A-S-A-P if I were you,” Ben said.

  “Guys, guys—,” Elizabeth put her hands up. “Slow down, okay? He didn't give me The Eyes,” she imitated the way Carlos stressed the words, “he gave me The Soup Spoon.” She waggled the utensil in question.

  “What-e-vah!” Ben stood up and placed his tray back in the middle of the table. “F-Y-I, my diva radar is never wrong.”

  Elizabeth shrugged and put her own tray away. She slung her bag on her shoulder and followed Ben, Carlos, and Lela to the exit. On their way to their next class, they passed by the main foyer where the monument of Prince Mikhail stood in the center.

  Elizabeth stopped for a moment and stared at the centerpiece, amazed at the likeness of the sculpture to Chad. He even had the same vibe—, the strong, brave, protective type.

  So unlike Mr. Mockery! She thought with a frown. Chad's aura made her feel safe, whereas Mr. Mockery ... frightened her.

  “Elizabeth!” Carlos called impatiently from the stairs. “Quit ogling that statue like a pervert! We're late!”

  “Coming!” She chuckled and ran to catch up. Now why on Earth did she think of Mr. Mockery out of the blue?

  Chapter 16

  History and Religion Class

  With Sister Mary Clarendon

  The class was about to begin when Elizabeth and her friends slipped in the seats near the doorway at the back of the classroom.

  “Hello, everyone!” a nun said cheerfully as she entered. “My name is Sister Mary Clarendon.” She paused in front, facing the class. “I am your History and Religion instructor.”

  Elizabeth studied the petite woman with the kind face and easy smile. Physically, she looked to be in her late twenties although she wondered what her real age was. She had red eyes like Richard.

  “As you can see, I'm a nun.” She took a stack of leaflets from her table and placed the pile on Jill Weber’s desk, motioning for her to take one and pass them along. “I have devoted myself to the study of the Universal Creed, our religion. So not only will you learn about our philosophy, heritage, and history. You will also learn about our faith.”

  “Let's start our lesson in Etiology.” The Sister pulled out a white board marker from her habit pocket. “Does anyone know what Etiology means?

  Bret raised a hand clad in a black leather gauntlet studded with silver rivets.

  “Yes, Mr. Kline?”

  “Etiology is the study of origins,” Bret replied, the chains hanging on his waist clinking as he stood up.

  “He’s sooo cute.” Lela sighed next to Elizabeth.

  “You are correct, Mr. Kline!” Sister Mary Clarendon said. “Origins, meaning: the genesis of our species. Now, who can tell me the scientific theory behind our origin?” The Sister scanned the classroom from corner to corner, waiting for an answer. “Anyone?” She raised the marker in her hand, sweeping it slowly in a half circle. “Yes? Mr. Alistair, exchange student—correct?”

  “Yes, Sister.” Chad nodded. “We have no known scientific theory that could explain our Etiology.”

  “Brilliant answer, Mr. Alistair!” Sister Mary Clarendon beamed in approval. “Ancient scriptures were the only source of information regarding the genesis of our species.”

  “Sister?” Ishmael, the boy with dreadlocks who always sat strumming his guitar before class, raised his hand.

  “Yes, Mr. Johnson?”

  Ishmael stood up. “If our genesis was based on the scriptures ... does that mean we were created by the Omni just like every living thing on Earth?”

  “Exactly,” the Sister nodded. “According to the ancient scriptures, the Omni, our God, after having created Earth and everything in it, had created a male and a female. He created both in his likeness—, bestowed with incredible physical prowess, powers of the mind, and possessed with remarkable beauty.

  “He established them in the sacred land to live and thrive and gave them dominion over all his creation. Then, as a final gift, the Omni entrusted a lamb to their protection and care.

  “They made use of the bounty in the sacred land. The male learned how to raise livestock while the female learned how to grow wheat, herbs, and vegetables. The Omni was greatly
pleased with their ingenuity and progress.

  “And then, one day, the female woke up to find that her garden had been ravaged. Everything she had grown for the past few months and anticipated to harvest that day had been ruined. Seething with wrath, she set out to find the culprit.

  “At the far end of the field she found the lamb stout with consumption still chewing on some lettuce leaves. Filled with blinding rage, she killed the lamb with a single blow to the head.

  “That evening, when the male came home for dinner, they had a sumptuous feast. The meal was the best he'd ever had, so he ate every single morsel. Afterwards, he went for a walk in the garden and saw that everything had been uprooted.

  “A dreadful feeling came over him so he asked the female. She told him that the lamb had destroyed and consumed everything in the field, so in turn, she slaughtered it and they had eaten it for dinner.”

  A collective groan of disgust sounded in the classroom.

  The Sister raised a hand to silence the class. “After the female's declaration of transgression, the Omni appeared. Both of them dropped to their knees and asked for forgiveness, but the Omni was angry. The male tried to reason with the Omni that he was a victim of circumstances instigated by the female, but the Omni silenced him by pointing out that he was as liable as the female for neglecting his responsibility to protect the lamb in favor of his work. The Omni went on to say that he asked them to care for the lamb in order for them to learn the virtues of love and tolerance towards the weaker beings that shared their world so they may enforce his Divine Providence. Does anyone know what the Divine Providence is? Yes, Miss Ikeda?”

  Lela stood up. “It is the Omni's will for the male and female to act as protectors of the delicate balance of nature and maintain the peaceful co-existence of all creation.”

  “Well said, Miss Ikeda.” Sister Mary Clarendon tapped the marker on her palm. “But they disobeyed the Omni and failed miserably.

  “In His wrath, the Omni banished them from light and condemned them to a perpetual life of darkness. He doomed them into dependence on other living creatures for sustenance. For them to survive, they must suck the life out of others.

  “He then turned to the male and forfeited his gifts of the mind, beauty and prowess, reducing him into a disfigured and repulsive-looking creature. Then, he turned to the female and told her that she would remain beautiful, but vile and venomous. She would lead a life of loneliness and desolation, and lastly, he damned her into infertility.

  “The final curse was her undoing. In her devastation, she left the male and prowled the Earth in darkness for centuries. Soon, she discovered a new breed that bore a pleasant similarity to her appearance. She stalked it and found that they lived in colonies. Most important of all, they had children.”

  “She saw human beings?” Jared Crowe asked.

  “Yes.” the Sister nodded. “One night, she snatched a little girl while the parents slept. She bit her just enough to pump venom in her blood, thinking that by infecting her she would become her child. But the girl went into convulsions and transformed into a wild creature that attacked and fed on any warm blooded thing it could find.”

  “She became a Hellion!” Debbie Parks exclaimed.

  “You're right, Miss Parks!” Sister Mary Clarendon flicked the marker in her direction. “All her attempts to convert human children proved to be disastrous. As the decades came and went, she became more desperate, longing for a companion. And having had no success with the young ones, she turned her attention toward the adults.”

  “She wanted to convert them too?” Julie Anne exclaimed from her seat next to Carlos.

  “No, that wasn't her intent.” the Sister shook her head. “She learned from her mistakes with the young ones. This time, all she wanted was the pleasure of having someone's company, so she used her beauty to attract a fine young man.

  “For a while, she was satisfied. The young man was attentive and entertaining. However, one night, he kissed her. And for the first time, she felt a different kind of craving—, the need for another's affection. Sadly, not long after he'd kissed her, the young man collapsed and died. She belatedly realized that even her kiss was venomous and had killed him.”

  “Did she go and find another companion?” Lela asked.

  “Not right away. The realization that she could never share intimacy with another devastated her. She swore not to ever let anyone stir that craving again.”

  “Great. Another man-hater.” Ben grimaced.

  “She was, until she saw Lord Idellyde,” Sister Clarendon smiled at Ben, “a dashing aristocrat who was as intelligent as he was handsome. She fell madly in love with him.

  “However, Lord Idellyde wanted more than just plain companionship. Like the young man before him, he wanted to express his feelings in a more physical way, but she wouldn't even let him kiss her for fear of killing him unintentionally.

  “Her aloofness put a strain in their relationship. Before long, Lord Idellyde shifted his affection to another woman who could satisfy his needs. She walked in on them one night when she visited his home unannounced.”

  “That must've been a real bummer.” Jill frowned.

  “Her fury was like no other, Miss Weber,” Sister Mary Clarendon said gravely. “But she couldn't bring herself to harm her beloved Lord Idellyde. Instead, she fled, and in her bitterness reverted to her wicked ways. She lured and seduced men everywhere she went. Some of them she murdered with her venomous kiss and some she bit, infecting their blood. Then, she discovered something astounding.”

  Feet shuffled in the classroom and an expectant silence descended.

  “She found out that adults reacted differently to the venom she pumped in their bloodstream. Yes, they craved blood like the young Hellions, but they didn't turn into wild, mindless creatures. They retained their faculties and were clever, blending back into human society where they enticed and seduced victims. Most of all, they followed her like a Queen and were immune to her venom. At last, she found the companionship she craved.

  “She wasted no time in building a clan, teaching her followers how to select and convert humans. Only the charismatic and beautiful would do, characteristics she knew were advantageous to them. The ones who didn't meet their standards they fed on, leaving heavy human casualties in every city they settled in.

  “Their group had grown so large that they would exhaust a town’s supply and then move on. By that time, their activities were reported all over the world and humans feared them. They were labeled many names, including the modern term, Vampire.

  “Now, do not confuse this notorious word with who we are. We are Deimons, true descendants of our ancestors by blood and by birth. Vampires or Hellions are a different breed altogether. They are the result of infected and mutated human DNA.

  “Sister Mary.” Ishmael raised his pencil and tossed his dreadlocks. “Based on your story, are you saying that there are two kinds Hellions?”

  “Indeed, Mr. Johnson. The vicious young ones, and the deceivingly charming adults. But make no mistake—, the latter is more dangerous.”

  “Sister?” Elizabeth lifted her hand. “Did the female ever consider converting Lord Idellyde?”

  “Excellent question, Miss Hamilton. Yes, she did, but decided against it. She learned that though her adult converts didn't lose their minds, they did lose their personalities. They became stoic, unable to express joy, grief, pleasure, and affection. She couldn't bear to turn her beloved, the spirited and passionate Lord Idellyde, into such a cold creature.”

  “Where is the female now?” Ishmael asked.

  “She's dead. In 1468, King Eadmon the Fifth inherited the crown and the task as enforcer of the Divine Providence. He heard about the hostile clan under the leadership of a Queen and set out to find her. He couldn't allow her to keep disturbing the balance of nature and disrupting peaceful co-existence so he killed her.”

  “How?” Bret Kline asked.

  “By playing her own game,” Sister
Mary Clarendon replied. “King Eadmon was handsome and intelligent like Lord Idellyde. She fell for his trap easily. According to history, his kiss enthralled her so much so, that she didn't even feel the dagger in her heart until it was too late and he had flung her into the raging flames in the fireplace.”

  “What about the others?” Bret sat up in his chair, his incredible pale blue eyes widening. “Whatever happened to them?”

  “Unfortunately, Mr. Kline, some of them escaped and went underground. King Eadmon didn't travel with enough men to contain them. The clan was enormous and they fought fiercely. The King had to prioritize the safety of his men so they eliminated as many as they were able to and pulled back, pledging to hunt them for as long as his coven holds the crown.

  “To this day the Highest Royal Coven of Europe deploys its army of assassins to flush Hellions from hiding places where they incubate new members of their clan. It is a continuing effort to control them for it only takes one adult Hellion to cause an outbreak.”

  “What about the male, Sister?” Joe Wayne, the shorter one of Bart Hammerstein’s cronies, asked. “Whatever became of him?”

  Sister Mary Clarendon turned to the freckle-faced boy with red hair just as the bell rang. “I'm sorry but we've run out of time, Mr. Wayne. We will continue our discussion on him in our next class.”

  Chapter 17

  Chad Alistair

  Elizabeth, Ben, Carlos, and Lela joined the stream of students pouring out from the main building into the parking lot.

  “Geez! When are we ever gonna get out of here?” Lela grumbled, pointing at the long line of vehicles clogging the exit.

  “Hey, isn't that Alistair?” Carlos tugged on Elizabeth's shoulder-bag strap and cocked his head towards the direction where she'd parked.

  “Who?” Elizabeth followed his gaze.

  “Don't look!” Ben muttered under his breath. “Chad—, up ahead.”

  “I think he's waiting for you,” Lela whispered.

  “Elitabet has a boyflen! Elitabet has a boyflen!” Carlos sang in a funny voice.