Cassian Legacy: The Vampire Prince

I was nearly late to school the next morning, by sheer accident. I stayed up too late finishing my homework. I didn’t usually struggle in this area, but with the new knowledge of Finn and what he was and everything that we discussed… well the information shook me to my core and corralled itself into my waking thoughts. I found my mind returning to him and the other mysteriously alive vampires that I never knew existed, more than once. But even with the distracting subject I completed all of my work and tried catching up on sleep in the early morning hours.

Once the first alarm went off, I mashed the snooze bar and rolled back over only to jump awake thirty minutes later and notice the gap in time. I had missed the bus, and couldn’t wait for the next because by then classes would have started. I was forced into pedestrian alternatives. I dressed, gathered my belongings, and ran for it. I took back alleys and side streets so I wouldn’t come across other people. When I spotted others that I couldn’t avoid, I slowed down, so they wouldn’t be attracted by my unusual quickness. But for the most part I literally fled to the school.

I arrived with my hair windswept and slightly frizzy by the breeze, and caught Seth waving at me from the main doors before he disappeared inside. In the sudden plight from my apartment, I had only gathered up my papers, but I hadn’t stuffed them into my bag like I normally would have and carried them in my arms. In fact, now that I thought about it, I only had my keys and books with the paper stack of homework, but no bag and no writing utensils. Silently cursing myself for being so distracted that I left my other necessities at home, I slowly made my ways indoors.

“Good morning,” he greeted, suddenly in front of me to the right.

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air, but the items I carried weren’t so lucky. They lay around me in piles on the painted concrete surface. I glowered at him, no doubt looking flustered and messy. I was sure I didn’t look as presentable as I usually did. My white shirt was not tucked in, hanging loosely around the plaid skirt, and wrinkled from my sleep. I had forgotten to throw on the vest or the tie, which meant I was out of uniform.

“You look…” he trailed off while his blue dark eyes swept up and down my body.

I snorted and tapped my foot hurriedly. “You nearly scared me.”

He pursed his lips but didn’t respond right away. His eyes met mine again. “Long night?”

I stopped my foot. “I’ve missed three days of class…what do you think?” I retorted with my sarcasm. Thank goodness there wasn’t a wind today, otherwise my essay would be dirtied and trashed, scattered around the parking lot. Without waiting for his response, I started picking up everything.

The bell rang, and I cursed aloud this time. I shut my eyes and nearly whined, but stopped myself because of his presence. There was no point in looking like a baby.

When I opened them again, all of my stuff had been gathered, and was awaiting me in his arms. He held the pile out for me, of which I took and thanked him generously. But as I rummaged through the stash, looking for Ms. Ingram’s pop quiz, I realized that I left my English essay at home. I gritted my teeth in frustration and looked away from Finn so he couldn’t read my reaction. I was already late, but I needed that essay. I turned back in the direction I came from and headed back towards the bus stop.

Finn grabbed my arm and tugged on it, trying to pull me back in his direction. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I wrenched my arm out of his, noticing that he used his given strength so that he could put me in my place, but it didn’t work out like he wanted it to, yet again. “I’m already going to be late. I left my essay at home in a rush to get here, along with my bag and my lunch. I have no money on me, and I look like a mess,” I growled.

His face told me all I needed to know about the truth in those statements. I was right, and he knew it. But he shook his head. “The bus doesn’t stop here during the classroom hours.”

Like I didn’t already know that. The bus stop was only camouflage for my comings and goings. I would travel home the way I came, by running, at the speed of sound.

“And you can’t run back home at this hour.” He winked at me, hinting that he knew how I arrived here.

He must’ve been waiting for my arrival all morning. The question was did he notice my pace from two blocks over? If he had been paying attention, he would’ve seen the feat. I may look like a blur to most people, but to his knowledgeable vampire eyes, he would know what I was accomplishing.

I glanced over at his yellow car. It was always here, parked in the back, away from all the other cars so it wouldn’t get scratched or dented. Maybe he’d take the hint and let me drive it.

He smiled, following my gaze and shook his head. “The gate’s closed.”

I had forgotten about that. There was this iron fence that surrounded the school, with only one entry for cars and buses, and one entry for pedestrians. The pedestrian route always remained open with a security camera so that the staff could see who entered school grounds. But the vehicle gate closed once school started and didn’t open again until it was over. To get out at any other time, you needed a special pass or key code, which wasn’t given out unless you had an emergency.

It seemed I was destined for a zero today. I marched past him and headed for the door. I was already late to class, but that didn’t matter anymore. Ms. Ingram would understand.

Once we were inside, Finn cornered me in the hallway. “You can’t arrive looking like that.”

“Watch me,” I snapped at him and continued on down the hall.

He shook his head while keeping pace with me. “What are you missing?”

This time I raised an eyebrow and stopped. Why did he care? And what would he do about the situation? There wasn’t anything for me to lose by giving him an answer. Sighing, I gave it. “My essay for Dr. Edwards.”

He didn’t smile, but looked more like he calculated some mathematical problem. Finally he nodded once. “I’ll take care of it.”

I frowned. Since when did he have the power to dismiss work from the teachers? But I stopped myself from asking the question. Knowing him, he’d probably use compulsion on the poor man. I pushed the idea from my mind and hurried off to my Chemistry class.

I arrived in the middle of the lecture, found the empty seat at the table by the window where I usually sat, and plopped my bottom on the stool. Ms. Ingram didn’t as much acknowledge my presence or stop her lecture at all, even though I disrupted her class by arriving late. Seth however noticed my distraction. Once her back was turned, he switched his seat for the nearest me one to me and passed a note.

Rough day?

He must’ve seen how I was under-prepared when I arrived in the parking lot for him to write the note so quickly. I frowned and shoved it back, momentarily letting my head fall into my arms. There was no need to respond, he could read it in my eyes. Yes, it was a rough day.