Chapter 7: Late to the first class
Ruelle no longer knew which was worse: accusing an elite vampire of holding her by her skirt or dousing him with orange juice—a vibrant splash against the stark white of his shirt, which was left exposed as he carried his Sexton robe draped over his arm.
The sweet scent of citrus wafted around them as the bright liquid dripped down his shirt. Her heart raced as her gaze nervously climbed to meet his furious eyes, which darkened like storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
Run, Ruelle!
In a fit of panic, she tugged at her skirt, desperate to free it from the grip of the light fixture. To her horror, the fabric tore with a sound that seemed to echo ominously in her ears. Things were only getting worse!
How far could she go? He was a vampire, a predator lurking just beneath the surface, ready to pounce like a leopard. She could almost imagine his claws, sharp and gleaming, ready to tear through her defences with ruthless precision. He had likely sharpened them the night before, plotting how best to ruin her life.
There was only one option left.
Swallowing her fear, Ruelle took a deep breath and offered a deep bow to the vampire, her voice trembling. "I am so sorry for spilling the juice on you! I didn't mean to offend you! I thought you had—" Embarrassment flooded, threatening to overwhelm her. "But it was the wall! Please forgive me!"
As she raised her head, Ruelle fished a hand into her pocket and produced a clean handkerchief, offering it to him as a gesture of peace.
"Do you truly believe that your measly handkerchief can remedy what you've done?" he asked, his voice a menacing whisper. His gaze bore into hers unyieldingly, making her skin crawl.
"There's a towel back in—"
"Breaking my vials, badmouthing me, and now spilling juice on me," he listed, taking a step closer, the domineering air thickening around them. Ruelle felt small under his scrutiny, her gaze dropping to the floor in a reflexive gesture of submission. "And after all that, you have the audacity to make light of the situation."