A Violet Fire (Vampires in Avignon #1) - Kelsey Quick Page 0,12
the ceiling, meaning that Reginald Amaorin’s supply units—who are all dressed in sapphire blue—are the first to be judged. Two vampire guards from the connecting hallway, dead center, motion for the next unit to proceed from the front of the sapphire line.
Meanwhile, my dorm mothers direct me to the end of the Ruby banner’s group which is undoubtedly the shortest but filled with the most beautiful. My eyes trace over them as I recognize only one of the ten or so girls. Glera is one of them, a strange and timid one who shared my bunk at the dorm. She was admitted into Nightingale late, like me, but as a gift to Lord Zein from an ally across borders. She, like the others in the ruby line, radiates with a raw and unique beauty making at least one thing true. Anton Zein is definitely a collector of rare humans.
By the way it’s proceeding, I will be the very last supply unit through the Distribution. The sudden urge to run overcomes me as I fumble over how long I will have to wait; how long I will have to distract myself from what’s ahead until it actually comes. What I wouldn’t do to be the first in line, if only to rip the bandage off.
The Gold banner alights—Marina Schovir’s indicative color. All of her supply units, nearly all of the male slaves in the school, save for a few, are dressed in bright gold. After Marina’s, it will be Trovier Tsala with Emerald green, followed by Hox Giomar with Amethyst purple, and finally, Anton Zein with Ruby red.
Out of the corner of my eye I catch a glint of familiar dark, wavy hair. Near the middle of the longest line of supply units is Savvy.
I call out to her, gathering strange looks from the other units, and evil glares from their dorm mothers. My own dig their sharp nails into my skin with disapproval, but I ignore it. Savvy turns my way and I lift my hand. She reciprocates and offers a weak smile—definitely a result of her spent nerves. Behind her is Katarii, who scowls at me.
Savvy opens her mouth to speak but her own dorm mothers reprimand her before she is able. I watch as she turns back to face the front, reluctantly so, and I am forced to do the same. Hox Giomar’s banner is eventually illuminated and as each moment passes, Savvy inches closer and closer to the front, farther and farther out of reach. This moment carries the feeling that it will forever be branded into my memory: watching the personification of meekness get swallowed by the monstrous darkness of the judgment hall. Soon, she’s gone, and before I know it, my own line moves forward.
Heat flashes consume me. Tunnel vision. The blood in my veins flush straight to my head, making my body dangerously close to collapsing to the floor.
More moments pass. I move forward again. And again. And again. The fourth unit in Zein’s line makes her way down the hallway toward the Distribution Room.
Un, deux, trois, quatre...
I try counting in French to quell my nerves as I edge ever closer.
Quarante-trois, quarante-quatre, quarante-cinq…
Eventually, all familiar faces have gone, leaving it to me and two others. Both the girls ahead of me are visibly shaking and, every now and then, whimpering out stifled exhales.
Finally, I step up to the front. My dorm mothers grip each of my arms fiercely and before long, I see them. The two guards that have been walking back and forth to signal next in line for the entire evening.
“Move,” one barks at me and it takes every inhibition I have ever entertained to not retaliate. I do move, but my building fear collapses.
To hell with all of this…
Under the force of the dorm mothers, I walk unsteadily toward, and eventually past, the soldiers. Slowly and stealthily we travel down the long, dark corridor. Never before have I felt that a hallway was longer than a quarter-morning run. Our surroundings change from eerie silence to muffled chatter as we near the double doors—I can imagine Cain’s military leaders on the other side, lightly laughing over the humans they condemned to the fallen and warbling about the ones they are eager to exploit. My jaw tightens and all of a sudden, everything around me is red; all I am is vengeance.
I focus on the beautifully carved door handles to try and ease my raging