running out of this room at full speed.
“Eighty years ago, I came to this castle. I was eighteen, new to my vampire powers, and I thought I could trust the angels. My death in their hands started a war they have won,” he growls in anger.
I tilt my head to the side, wondering why I’m so interested in this ghost. I’ve seen good-looking ghosts before, but I’ve never been stupid enough to interact with them. “The angels killed you. Why would they do that?”
“If you want me to tell you a secret, you must tell me one back,” he counters.
“I don’t play games with ghosts, Ren,” I sourly reply. He walks closer to me, and I smell a strange scent of cinnamon mixed with a musk rosewood, and it takes me a moment to realise I can smell Ren.
And that’s never, ever happened before.
Ghosts aren’t really here...they don’t have scents...they aren’t real in this world. I hide my emotions as best I can because he doesn’t need to know how I’m freaking the hell out inside.
Becoming an angel? No problem. Smelling a ghost? Yep, total freak out.
“I’m going to play all sorts of games with my new friend, Kaitlyn Lightson. When you need me, just call.”
Then he is just gone, and my room feels emptier than ever, and I finally let my shaky legs sink me onto the floor. One thing is for sure, my heart is not safe in this academy. Neither are my secrets.
Chapter 7
“Kat, did you get a breakfast tray too?” Ves shouts through the bathroom door as I finish brushing my hair. I like that we have nicknames for each other when we literally only just met. I guess dying and becoming an angel has a way of bonding people. “Only I hate eating on my own and, well, can I eat with you?” I glance at my skinny jeans, purple tee with “I bite” written on it, and my favourite black Doc Martens that have purple laces in the full mirror by the bathroom door.
“Morning! Come in!” I shout back, and she opens the door as I sit on the edge of my extremely comfy bed. Ves comes and sits by me as I tug my own tray onto my lap and take off the blue lid, revealing two slices of toast, a little cornflake box in a bowl, a bottle of water and a carton of milk.
“Did you sleep well?” Ves asks after she eats her toast. I finish mine off and open the bottle of water, taking a deep gulp before answering her.
“Like an angel,” I wink at her, and she laughs, bumping my shoulder. Which is a giant lie. After Ren disappeared, I spent all night thinking about him, worrying about him coming back, and wondering how many ghosts might be lurking around the academy, waiting to scare me. What if they have troll ghosts here? Or freaking dragons? I don’t even know if those creatures are real, but I don’t want to see their ghosts any time soon.
“It’s seriously messed up to think we are actually dead,” Ves mumbles.
“How did you die?” I ask, curious about her life. “I mean, if you don’t mind telling me. You don’t have to, though.”
“It’s okay,” she replies, clearing her throat. “I lived in France, though my family is from Wales, and we moved to France for my dad’s job when I was twelve. Hence the weird accent.”
“Your accent is nice, though I was curious where it was from,” I reply. “Oh wait, can you speak French? That would be cool.”
“Nope, I’m terrible at French. I was home-schooled and always the outcast,” she admits, biting on her lip. “Anyways, I was bike riding with my dad, something we always did, and it got late. We were heading back when I rode too close to the edge of a cliff. The cliff gave way, and the last thing I remember is my dad screaming my name.”
“I’m so sorry, Ves,” I say, placing my hand on her arm. “I crashed a car with Riley inside it. We died together, and I don’t remember much either.”
“I’m sorry too. Where are you from?” she asks, clearly wanting to change the subject a little.
“Lake District. My mum is an artist and met my dad when he bought my mum’s painting of a house on the lake. That house was my dad’s holiday home, and the rest is history,” I explain, and she smiles at me. We both jump as someone