Chapter 11: Fire in the mountain—Run!
Ruelle clutched the quill in her hand while she sat in class. Despite the passing hour, her mind was shackled to Mr. Mortis's words. She couldn't leave Sexton? The establishment owned them? Was her family aware of this?
After the Antiquity class, which was the study of vampire and human history, the Elites stayed behind while the Groundlings moved on to their next lesson.
"What does S.T stand for?" Ruelle asked as she tightened the ribbon in her hair.
"Maybe Sexton and something staring with T? Or maybe survival tactics," Hailey joked.
When they stepped into the room with the other students, Ruelle noticed that instead of the usual desks and blackboards, the room had benches lining the walls and...a single bed.
Her eyes were drawn to a striking vampiress standing at the centre of the room. She wore a red dress with a white cravat adorning her neck, fastened with a green pin that glinted in the candlelight. Despite the long velvet curtains, there were no windows. Similarly, though hooks adorned the ceiling, no chandeliers hung from them.
"Settle in everyone," the instructor ordered as the rest of the students filed into the room.
One boy, crossing to the front, stumbled, only to be caught by the instructor's swift and steady grip.
"Pardon me!" The boy apologised, who appeared to be fifteen years old.
As the room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the instructor. She leaned in close to the boy's face, creating evident tension in the air. Was she going to kiss a student? The question rippled silently through the room. The boy's lips parted ever so slightly, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty clear on his face.
"It seems we'll be refining some manners in this class, won't we?" The instructor murmured, her voice smooth and assured.