Shadow School Ch. 07

Cameron Ellis was seated once again in the banquet room of VanMeter Hall. The school had prepared a special breakfast for the seven scholarship winners and their families, offering them a large variety of food to choose from. However, instead of seating the families at two long tables, as they had done the night before, each family had their own private table with an extra seat.

Once everyone had been settled at their tables and their breakfast choices had been ordered, the seven Heads of Houses entered the room together, splitting off to sit with their newest recruits. Cameron found herself sitting directly across from Elias, her family engaging him in all sorts of questions; none of which were about him being a vampire... because they still didn't know.

Cameron had spent the entire night trying to remember everything she knew about vampires, which wasn't a lot. She'd never actually read a vampire story, so she only had a few movies to go off of and a few things everyone knew... like garlic and crucifixes, coffins and holy water, and that they didn't come out in the daytime. And... they drank blood. But there were also the extra things each story added... when Gary Oldman played Dracula, he'd had a creepy servant that ate bugs, and had screwed that redheaded girl while in some sort of weird hybrid werewolf form. Were vampires werewolves too?

There was one thing all of these stories seemed to focus on: how to kill vampires. As different as all the night-walkers had been, that was the one true goal. Well, maybe not the Anne Rice vampires, but even they had been burned or left out in the sun. Still, Cameron supposed thinking of the movies did nothing to help her situation... if anything, it could harm it. One didn't think of the many ways to kill vampires when surrounded by them.

But... did she want to kill Elias? So far he'd treated her... well, okay, there was the incident in the bathroom but that had been to get her through the archway and into his territory. He'd even apologized for biting her. As much as she should have hated him for it, she couldn't blame him... it was his nature after all. She always tried to put herself in the other person's shoes.

Except, Elias wasn't a person... he was a vampire. She had to keep reminding herself that. But everything he was went against the monsters of the movies. At least... so far. And the way he touched her...

By this morning she had decided not to think about any of this in front of him, in case he got the wrong idea. Now that he was sitting in front of her, it was hard not to look at him and debate his nature versus those in the stories.

Especially since he was eating.

A plate of food had been placed before him along with those for Cameron and her parents. They were all eating. Did vampires eat food? Obviously they did... he was... but she was under the impression that they only drank blood. Elias raised an eyebrow at her as he took a bite of his blueberry pancakes -- the idea of it making her want to break into a hysterical fit a giggles.

Her father was speaking about visitation rights. Her parents had heard about the visitor policy during the school year from the Board of Directors the day before. They had concerns; mainly the fact that they wouldn't be seeing their daughter as often as they hoped.

"As with any college student leaving home, it is sometimes hard for parents to let go," Elias said, answering Cameron's father, "but here, the students are immediately involved in extracurricular activities on nights and weekends that prevent them from traveling home. The student body is very active."

"Yes, but Christmas..." her mother said.

"Last Christmas several of the students took a trip to Germany; the year before they went to England, and the year before that, they went to Bethlehem... all funded by the school. Each trip was focused on an element of the holiday season, whether it be the introduction of the Christmas tree and Yule, Charles Dickens and the evolution of gift-giving, or the birth of Christ. It is optional, but it's a combination of study and vacation that helps our students better understand their culture... for instance, this year one of our alumni is leading a trip focused on Saint Nicholas." Elias smiled. "It's a trip not many get to take... so you can understand how some parents will forgo the right to see their child knowing that their student is experiencing something different that can enhance their future. It's all part of attending our institution."

Cameron's parents were still too thrilled that she was accepted into the elite society of Shacrow VanMeter College to argue with anything that might be part of that privilege, so they let the matter drop. They asked other questions about the school throughout the remainder of breakfast until Louis entered and the students were dismissed to accompany their escorts on a personal tour of campus. Cameron left her parents with Elias, the vampire watching her go as she exited the room with the other girls.

"So how did your breakfast go?" Kristie asked, falling in beside Cameron as they walked across campus.

"Okay, I guess. Did you know they could eat?" Cameron didn't dare say vampires around the other girls but couldn't help the question... Kristie seemed to know more about them than she did.

"Hell, no. I sat there staring at Daman as he put cream cheese on a bagel and proceeded to eat it along with scrambled eggs and bacon. I mean, what the fuck." Kristie kicked a rock along the path. "At least we know they still don't go out in sunlight... so I'm guessing all those tunnels we saw yesterday are part of a travel system that lets them move during daytime."

Cameron hadn't considered that... she thought it was simply for privacy.

"Seriously Cam, this is so exciting... I mean, getting to know what's really going on? Having knowledge the rest of the world would kill for?"

Cameron glanced at the other girls around them. "You do realize you're excited about being a human amongst vampires, right? What if they kill us? Or turn us? Or... I mean... the odds of our safety don't seem all that high here..."

"Cameron seriously... you heard all the mumbo jumbo about us going out into the world? What if that's how they get to run their network? They need daywalkers... people who can go to meetings during normal business hours... people who can live in society without suspicions.... That's us. Why would they kill us?"

"Um, because that's what vampires do?"

"Shhh." Kristie said, making eye contact with the brunette recruit for Ovidan House. "Seriously... other than the daylight thing, and okay, they still have a thing for blood... they're obviously are different than what we expect. They aren't monsters, they're actually civilized. They eat food. They're warm-" Kristie's eyes widened. "Hey... do you think they have heartbeats? I mean... you got closer to one than I did."

"I don't know... I was a little... preoccupied."

"I bet you were," Kristie smirked.

"But I wondered about it..." Cameron blushed and hesitated. "I mean... a... a hard on is basically an influx of blood... right? So it had to get pumped down there somehow. He functioned just like any other warm blooded male would."

Kristie looked thoughtful. "If they're warm, there must be some sort of blood movement keeping them heated right? I'm so not into biology. Maybe we should ask-"

"No," Cameron hissed, knowing who Kristie had been about to mention.

They both glanced at Melanie who was walking with Louis, both deep into a conversation. Another girl was with them -- one of the escorts -- and Cameron realized the people escorting them had changed. "Hey... is your escort the same girl from yesterday?"

Kristie looked back at a young man with darker skin and dreadlocks walking next to the barrel-chested guy with light brown hair. They both looked like jocks to Cameron, but they wouldn't have a team to play on at this particular college.

"His name is Eric. He's with Sokar. I'm not sure what the other guy's name is, but he was walking with that girl who was picked for Caesaris so I'm guessing he's with that house." Kristie eyed the petite blonde who was her guide yesterday. "My girl was with Waldemar so she's with that Heather chick. Did yours change?"

Cameron looked at her own escort who was talking with another escort. "No... Mahi must be with Arinson. They weren't scholarship students so I wonder what their deal is."

"Family." Kristie said. "I mean... look at Louis. He's a dead ringer for an Ovidan." They both looked over to where Louis and the other girl were walking with Melanie. Cameron really hated that Melanie had been picked. Out of twenty other girls, couldn't she have just gone home? No... she couldn't... because Melanie had somehow discovered what was going on here... which made Cameron wonder what the girl's experience in the last twenty-four hours had been.

"Hey," Cameron said, "you know how we were introduced to the secret here?"

"Yeah..."

"How do you think Melanie found out? I mean... her Head of House is a woman..."

Kristie snorted. "High and mighty Melanie would never. Don't the fiercely-faithful frown on the G and L's? Then again, her group tends to have problems with old guys going after boys... so who knows. Her Head of House was hanging all over that Harvard guy last night though... I bet we were introduced differently. Maybe we should consider that our Heads were just randy boys who like to do naughty things to their incomings."

Cameron blanched, thinking about that model hanging on Elias' arm last night. Had he done the same to her? Probably not... he seemed to be shocked that Cameron was still a virgin and they had both ended up doing things that might not have happened were that not the case.

Right?

"Oh, shit." Kristie halted, staring wide-eyed at Melanie and the two escorts.

Cameron glanced around at the traveling group and tugged Kristie into motion again before anyone got too suspicious. "What?"

Kristie sounded a little breathless. "Cameron..."

"What?" Cameron answered, worried.

"Louis."

"What about him?"

"He looks just like Gavin Ovidan... right?"

"Yeah..."

"And Gavin is, like, several hundred years old or whatever..."

Cameron frowned "I don't und-"

"Cameron," Kris said, saying her name like she was trying to tell her something.

"What?" Cameron was getting exasperated.

Kristie gulped, looking around her then back to Louis. Her voice was tight. "He's in the sunlight."

***

Melanie was in complete awe of the structure the vampires had created all over the world. They had a loyal human network in every country, with a wide range of talents from government to entertainment. As creepy as it sounded, the shepherds wanted to ensure their flock flourished happily, despite the occasional one or ten chosen as a meal.

Melanie had been temporarily mollified when she had been chosen for Roanoke House, knowing that the fate of the other girls was much worse. No way would she become lunch. Then when she'd gone to breakfast the next morning only to see the chosen ones, she remembered that several of the other twenty girls wanted to come to this school anyway, without the scholarship. They wouldn't die, but they would also provide fresh blood to the vampires on campus who wanted a snack before going out into the world to seek their true victims.

Could she do this? Could she stand by and let these things harm those around her? Despite the genial respect coming from Virginia, Melanie couldn't look at her without thinking of the things the vampire had said about her kind. They were not monsters, but had to be demons. What else would do such horrible things... and to live so long as they did; Virginia herself was over four hundred years old... and she was one of the youngest among the Heads.

By the time breakfast was over and all the girls had left the room, Melanie was on the verge of hyperventilating. Her escort had tried to calm her down to no avail, before Louis had come over and asked her what was wrong.

Melanie seemed to relax a little in his presence... she couldn't help it; ever since seeing that picture of his fiancé and baby brother, Melanie knew Louis wasn't all bad... and he was here... which meant things couldn't be as bad as she was imagining.

It had been Louis that used the sheep analogy then, trying to make her understand that a shepherd doesn't spend all his time tending his flock only to slaughter them all in a gruesome fashion, but he does tend his flock knowing that the sheep will provide food and clothing when needed.

So, humans provided wealth and food. Great. The idea had barely consoled her when he explained the reality of the situation.

Shacrow's vampires were different. According to what she'd been told so far, there were several types of vampires out there, not just one kind, and the ones involved in the school systems all over the world were some of the better variety. Yes, they still drank the blood of humans, but they never killed. And then came the most shocking revelation.

The vampires of this shadow school followed the Ten Commandments.

It was a movement in the vampire community that started seven hundred years ago when a Catholic priest had been turned, yet continued his faith despite considering himself possessed by a demon. Unlike the myths, vampires did not lose their sense of self, and the man was able to follow the strict rules of his religion while being a child of the night.

What was even stranger, though the priest could not go out during the daytime, he did not die instantly when sunlight hit him... he simply sizzled for a bit before the pain started. He could last for whole minutes before the light's effects would begin to do him harm, which lead the first vampire to witness this to ask him how he accomplished the feat; it was a kind of miracle in the vampire community.

"Living that way of life spread slowly, but led to an established Order from which our schools developed," Louis said, smiling slightly at Melanie. "Other benefits emerged as well, but you will learn of these in time."

She knew he was playing to her Catholicism, but she had to admit it was working.

"The priest's last name was von Muter... which translated into VanMeter when we established this American school," said Angelica, the escort for Roanoke House. "Each campus like ours names their main Hall after the man who gave us this way of life. It always faces a cathedral. The rest of the surrounding structures depend on the school's founders."

"But not everyone lives this way?" Melanie asked.

"There are those who choose not to drink human blood... they are very rare... and there are those who try to live in society with humans, often marrying... they must tell their spouse what they are, however -- it's difficult if you cannot go out into daylight, and when you do not age. There are also those who live out of society, preferring to keep to themselves until they feed. Lifestyles and feeding preferences span the spectrum." Louis made a grim face. "There are those however, that see themselves more as gods, who can do or take what they want... they threaten our existence and we have been at war with them ever since our society became strong."

Angelica sighed. "It never ends. And what with the other threats, not to mention the constant threat of discovery by humans... we work hard to ensure the way of life here remains as safe as possible." The girl smiled. "So, I apologize for your blunt introduction... Aunt Virginia has her moments." She shared a look at Louis as if apologizing to him as well; Roanoke had done this to taunt Ovidan House, after all.

Louis nodded slightly then looked back to Melanie. "Despite how you were told, now that you know, you must understand why one human life taken to preserve secrecy is worth the act if it means protecting billions."

Melanie swallowed. "Important secret. I already got that message. You don't have to worry."

The three of them walked a few steps in silence before finally she asked, "So are you seriously trying to tell me the vampires here are good vampires? I mean, they do prey on humans... they don't age... and there's that whole bloodlust thing that is just... not right."

Louis glanced at Angelica. "Even humans have their faults... I'm surprised that you pass judgment on us so easily when your race kills for lesser things than survival and sustenance... how many criminals are packed into your prison system?"

Melanie blushed. He had her there.

Angelica grinned. "And no one has ever slipped a person a date rape drug or some Ecstasy... right? Because humans don't do that."

Louis glanced behind him. "Look, once you start to realize that most of the bad things said about vampires were created to specifically lead humans astray, you can get past the idea that everyone here is out to do you harm. Has anyone here tried to harm you yet?"

Melanie shook her head. This was all just so confusing.

Angelica grinned. "Good... now that that's all settled, let's go meet your housemates."

Louis had stopped a few steps back to wave over the brunette chosen for his house. Everyone had started to split off with their escorts, including Kristie and Cameron, who were headed in the opposite direction.

***

Kristie fell into step beside Eric, mentally noting that if this was the way to their Houses, then she was expected to walk a lot every day when she attended classes; the idea did not appeal to her laziness. The mental note was insignificant, however, against the raging swirl of thoughts based on the existence of Louis Ovidan. What was his deal? How did he look like Gavin? She and Cameron had come up with only one solution, and it didn't make sense.

Now, looking at Eric out of the corner of her eye, Kristie felt realization and dread wash over her at the same time. There was only way Eric could look so much like Daman and not be a vampire.

"He's my father," Eric said, glancing down at her.

Shit.

"Wanna tell me how that's possible?" Kristie eyed the other girls as they walked further and further away towards their own Houses, each one side-by-side with an escort, each escort probably vampire spawn.

"Do I really need to explain the birds and the bees?"

"You can obviously read minds like your dear ol' dad... you know that's not what I meant." Kristie scowled. "How can the undead have kids?"

"How about we start with the fact the Heads of Houses aren't dead. Or undead."

Kristie stopped. "You're shitting me."

"Their hearts beat just as yours." Eric looked at her curiously. "How much do you want to know, Miss MacFarland?"

"Ugh. Don't call me that. My name's Kristie... or Kris. And... everything. I want to know everything."

"Well you can't know everything just yet, but I will tell you this. When a vampire dies, that's when you run. You won't get far, being human, but what's left once their human soul is gone..."

"So what, there's like, two kinds of vampires?"

"More than two, but you can break it down to alive or undead. 'Immortal' would be a better term for the vampires around here. And yes, they can reproduce."

"Yeah. So. Daman sired you? Like, actually sired you? He didn't just bite you can call you sonny boy?"

"My father had sex with my mother and I was the result." Eric shrugged.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty two."

Kristie started to walk again. "Do you have siblings?"

Eric looked at her warily. "Only half-brothers and sisters."

"Do you have the same powers as Daman? And why can you do the whole walking in daylight thing?"

"Some powers I inherited... I'm a hybrid... I'm just a human with enhanced powers."

"What, like flying?"

Eric smirked. "No vampire can fly; some can jump high, but we are all governed by the laws of physics. I use more of my brain than the average human. I can tap into auras and energies, soul communication, enhanced senses... things like that. You'll learn all this soon."