Chapter 78: Half vampire
Andria’s POV
I forced my eyes away, staring at some meaningless stack of books on his desk. "What is the actual reason I was called to this office?" I asked, sharper than I meant—anything to move us out from this personal topic.
But his gaze pinned me anyway. And for a split second, just a split second, I felt my defences melting. Like if I let my eyes linger too long, I’d give myself away.
His smirk softened, replaced by something harder, sharper. He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and his tone shifted. "You want to know why I called you here."
Well, the voice went from flirty to serious in a fleet seconds. "I think I can handle this situation better." The change in his tone made it better, although his presence wasn’t de-escalating anything.
"Yes." My voice was steady this time.
"Tracy," he said, his voice cutting clean through the air. "And her spell, I’m sure you must have noticed that Tracy has the students wrapped around her fingers as her loyal supporters for the upcoming student council elections."
I blinked, confusion flickering through me. I didn’t want him to know that I had noticed it too, so I wouldn’t understand what he was driving at.
But if he had paid attention to what I was thinking, he would have found out, but he didn’t, or maybe he did but chose to ignore it.
"You risk losing the election unless you break the spell she has cast on the students. And only you can break it," he smirked, shaking his head in amusement, maybe from my amusing thoughts, and then continued.
I sat straighter, my chest tightening. "Break it? How?"
His eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You are a vampire. I know that. And only a vampire’s blood can break a vampire’s spell. Not even a Dravari. Dravari only fight wars."
The words struck deep. The way he said "I know that", it felt like a chain snapping inside me. Like I’d been hiding, and he was reminding me there was no use. He saw me, and he knew me well.
I wondered why he hadn’t ratted me out yet. I mean, I’m half-enemy; I should be sent to the underworld, where I don’t even belong. That’s the curse of a hybrid.
"How?" My voice came out quieter than I intended.
His gaze sharpened. "The process is not easy. It requires intent, will, and blood. When a spell like Tracy’s grips this many people, it spreads like a disease. To cure it, you must offer your blood directly, since it was a vampire spell, only a vampire spell can break it. A ritual must be carried out to reach those bound to her influence."
My mouth went dry. "Offer my blood... to the whole academy?, I might die," I panicked
He leaned back, studying me like I was a puzzle. "Not the whole academy. But enough. A drop in the wrong place will do nothing. A drop placed with intent, with the right will, can ripple out. You’ll need to decide who receives it. You’ll need to decide how to deliver it, and trust me, it’s crucial. Your vampire side is stronger than you think; you are not just paying attention to it."
My skin prickled. "And what if I don’t? Besides, I haven’t felt that part of me for a long time, although recently I started to read minds, not just my usual sharp reflexes, which I can attribute to my vampiric side. I don’t feed as a vampire, and it has stopped craving too."
His jaw tightened, his voice lowering until it seemed to echo in my chest. "Then she wins. And you lose everything you’ve built. We also stand the chance of losing the academy to vampires and the kingdom soon," he paused and then continued.
"It might be delightful news, knowing that they are still part of you, and even if they got the kingdom, you won’t be affected, but don’t forget that they tried to harm you. Nothing good comes from the creatures of the underworld; they always betray each other, and yes, they will kill you eventually because you are part wolf."
I swallowed hard. The gravity in his words pressed against my ribs, making it harder to breathe.
"But..." I hesitated, my mind clawing for sense. "What if I do it wrong? What if it backfires?"
"You wouldn’t have to do it wrong if you are willing and you focus, it’s just a blood cleansing ritual. If not..." he paused and then completed simply. "Tracy will use the opening to tighten her grip."
My throat tightened. Every answer of his was worse than the last.
Why do I have to solve their problems when I know well that they wouldn’t have accepted me in the first place if they knew I was a vampire?
I was treated worse than a downgrade Gamma slave in my father’s house, partially because I was the creature of the night, and now they need that same blood to save their kingdom.
"I’m a wolf. If you don’t save my kind, it means you will lose me too," Athena whispered in a sad tone.
"How great," I muttered to myself. He drifted closer than usual, his face almost collided with mine.
I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of how close he was, how his scent filled the air, and how his gaze never wavered. He kept staring into my eyes as he spoke each word.
And I was tensed about this whole blood ritual thing, but also excited in my core by his proximity; he could undress me now, and I wouldn’t even budge. "And you’re telling me this now because...?"
His lips curved again, but it wasn’t mocking this time. It was something else. "Because you needed to hear it before it’s too late. And whether you want to admit it or not, we need each other now, fuck mate bonds and all, we need to save the academy for now."
It hurt when he said "Fuck mate bond" so carelessly, like he never even cared about the mate bond at all. But what do I care?, A predator is always a predator, after all, I’m a Lunara-blooded she-wolf. But I have refused to be his prey.
The room felt smaller. My pulse thundered in my ears.
And beneath all of it, I could still feel the heat, the pull, the bond gnawing at me. His words carried weight, yes, but the way he looked at me, like he saw both my weakness and my strength, he stared at me like he just read my mind, and the reaction he wanted from his words was precisely what he got; that was what made my body betray me all over again.
I pressed my palms into my thighs under the desk, grounding myself. "Fine. Then tell me everything. What exactly do I have to do? How do I even begin this ritual?"
He smirked and then pushed the desk away from him a little before standing up and sitting on the desk top, making him closer to me than he already was.
He was enjoying the scene, and I was a trembling mess from heat and estranged desire. He took my face in his palm, and I immediately slapped his hands off and backed off, pulling my chair with me, before quickly getting up.
He moved with ease and speed, pinning me to the wall. And yet he hadn’t answered my previous question. Instead, his gaze held mine, steady and relentless, like he was peeling me apart layer by layer. Then he spoke, his voice calm but deliberate.
"One drop of blood can undo a spell, but intent is what guides it. You will need to choose your moment carefully. When the crowd is most under her sway, that is when you act. You’ll have to cut yourself, willingly, and let your blood touch them, through food, drink, or even skin. Once your blood connects, the spell will begin to unravel."
"The cafeteria is the best place to act, but you have to purge your blood first to avoid poisoning them more," he said, handing me a mixture.
"What’s in there?" I asked, my twisting in a frown.
"It’s a mixture of course that can help purge the poison in your blood," he said, watching closely as the vial settled in my palm, "the rest depends on whether you’re strong enough to endure it. It will hurt when you take it, but it subsides soon enough."
My breath hitched. "So I’m supposed to bleed for them, hurt for them, and maybe die for them. The same people who wouldn’t care if I existed, if they found out that I’m a vampire, the moment the spell is broken and everything is back to normal."
"Not bleed," he corrected. "Sacrifice. There’s a difference. Bleeding is waste. Sacrifice is will. And will is what breaks the bond. Besides, you are not just doing it for them; they don’t even care now." he paused, and his expression softened a little.