bath. The bathroom is super modern with an oval shaped bath on white tiles, a walk-in shower against the grey exposed stone walls, and a toilet tucked away in the corner. The one wall has a row of cabinets and two sinks with mirrors above them. I start running the bath and sit on the edge, fascinated as my blood drips one drop at a time into the water.
“How long were you a vampire? Were you born a vampire or bitten like in movies?” I enquire, knowing Ren is in the room with me without needing to look away from the water.
“Born. Vampires can be turned with a bite, but only a master vampire has that skill to turn vampires, and I was the last living master vampire in existence,” he sadly tells me, his voice full of longing for something I can’t imagine. “Now my race will die and disappear before long. Newly changed vampires only have a ten per cent chance of surviving when they aren’t in a coven with a master vampire near. Eventually my people will give up.”
“I will ask about vampires as you wish,” I reply, because for some silly, deep down reason, I want to give him something. Something to think of in the loneliness of the dark he is in.
“Thank you,” he whispers, his voice so close to my ear that for a moment, I think I might be able to feel his breath on my cheek, but when I turn, he is gone, and I’m left thinking about the hot vampire ghost I know is going to get me in trouble.
Chapter 10
“What’s your favourite colour?” Ves asks me as we head through the greenhouse on our way to Tuesday lessons. History of Angels is our morning class with Master Gabriel, and in the afternoon, we have Herbology with Professor Louton. For once, I’m actually a little bit excited about our day. Thankfully, when I woke up, my wounds had all healed like they never existed in the first place. I know I have Henry to thank for that.
“Green, and not a particular shade of it. I love the green of a healthy leaf on a tree to the green of the moss it falls on,” I explain to her.
“I thought you’d say violet,” she says around a chuckle.
“The only thing wrong about Parma Violets is that they aren’t green,” I say, and we both laugh. “What is your favourite colour?”
“Red,” she mutters, lifting a strand of her curly hair and letting it bounce back into place.
“I could have guessed that. Okay, what question next?” I ask, as this was Ves’s idea to get to know each other a little better.
“Which boys do you have a crush on?” she asks, and my mind betrays me by flashing images of Thallon, Henry and Ren into my head. Not that I can tell Ves that I see ghosts and have done since I was a kid. Oh, and that I’m crushing on a vampire ghost who haunts my room. Yeah, totally normal.
“Wait, you’re lucky and off the hook. This is our room.”
“Lucky me,” I grin and push the glass door open. Master Gabriel sits at the front of the class in a leather chair, a large desk right in front of him, and it is covered in bits and bobs. Ves and I find an empty table two rows back and sit down as the rest of the students pile into the room. When all seventeen of us are in here, Master Gabriel stands up and closes his hands in front of him.
“Do any of you remember the first time you were told about angels?” he asks, and there is silence for a reply. I can’t remember, but Ves puts her hand up, and Master Gabriel nods for her to talk.
“I was seven, and there was an angel statue outside our local church. I remember asking my dad what it was, and he told me angels are the protectors of us all,” she quietly says. “Oh, and that they have cool wings.”
“A lovely story, and I’m sure in everyone’s minds, there is a similar one. Angels have been in humans’ lives since the dawn of time, since their earliest memory. We are unclear where our race truly began, but it is clear we were sent here to rise above human emotions and wants in order to do the right thing,” he says, folding his hands together.
“And what is the right thing?” I ask.
“To steer humanity