Chapter 63: The Illusion of Safety
{IRIS}
I was relieved when we finally returned to the dormitories after class.
At least here, behind stone walls thick with old magic and older rules, we were supposed to be safe.
Supposed to be.
Caroline didn’t say much on the walk back. She stayed close to me, her shoulders drawn in, her steps quick and uneven, as though she expected someone to reach out of the shadows and grab her at any moment.
When we entered our room, she didn’t even bother changing. She sat on the edge of her bed for a long moment, staring at nothing, before lying down fully clothed and turning her face to the wall.
By eight, she was asleep.
That alone unsettled me more than anything else that had happened that day.
Caroline never slept before ten. Never.
She would usually chatter about classes, complain about professors, or ramble about the strange architecture of the academy until exhaustion finally claimed her.
At least she would bath first and get all those make-up off her face.
Tonight, there was none of that. Just silence. Heavy, brittle silence.
She must still have been shaken by what happened.
On only the second day of school, we had already been exiled.
The people who had smiled at Caroline yesterday, who had called her by name and invited her to sit beside them, had turned away as if she carried some invisible plague.
Whispers followed us through the halls. Humans avoided her entirely, their fear thinly veiled behind stiff politeness. No one wanted to be associated with us who picked a fight with a noble vampire.
Association alone could be dangerous here.
Meanwhile, my own reputation deteriorated by the hour.
First, I had already been ostracized because of the mermaid incident. Now, by standing beside Caroline, I had sealed my fate completely.
The academy had spoken without words—we were liabilities. Problems. Targets.
Great.
Just great.
I was certain Lord Val was disappointed in me.
The thought twisted painfully in my chest. I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine meeting his gaze now.
It had only been my second day at the academy, and somehow I had already managed to become priority target number one.
As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone vibrated.
Lord Val’s name glowed on the screen.
Before, I would have answered immediately. I had always been eager to hear his voice, to receive guidance, reassurance—anything that reminded me I wasn’t completely alone in this world.
Now, dread crawled up my spine.
I didn’t want to answer.
I didn’t want to hear the disappointment I knew would be there.
But ignoring him was not an option.
Quietly, I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. The light flickered faintly as I leaned against the sink, took a steadying breath, and answered the call.
"H–hello?"
"What do you think you’re doing, Iris?"
The sharpness in his voice hit me like a slap.
Ah... here we go.
I braced myself, forcing my shoulders to relax even as my heart constricted painfully in my chest. His fury wasn’t loud—but it was tightly restrained, controlled in a way that frightened me far more than shouting ever could.
"I told you to stay clear of trouble," he continued, each word clipped. "Yet within two days, you’ve involved yourself with a dangerous ghost, been dragged into a lake by a mermaid, and now you’ve antagonized a noble vampire."
"I—I can explain," I said quickly, lowering my voice further. I avoided saying his name aloud; Caroline might hear. "Zephyros approached me first. I tried to avoid him, I did—but he was persistent. He appeared wherever I went."
I swallowed, then hurried on before he could interrupt.
"As for Sirene, I truly did nothing. I was reading under the willow tree—far from the lake. At least a hundred meters away. But still indeed up being dragged . . . I’m sorry, my Lord. I will not go there again, I promise.
"And the last part..." My voice faltered. "Caroline is my roommate. My friend. I didn’t think. My body just... moved."
There was silence on the line.
Then I heard him take a slow, deep breath—one meant to calm himself rather than me.
"Listen to me, Iris," he said finally. His tone had softened, but the gravity remained. "I can warn the others, but they are vampires, and I am not their lord. Worse, they are nobles. What you did today will not be easily forgotten."
My throat tightened.
Fear settled deep in my bones.
I didn’t have my wolf. I didn’t even know my arcane ability yet. Whatever minor strength and agility I possessed meant nothing against a noble vampire.
Against one of them, I wouldn’t last seconds.
"Listen carefully," Lord Val said. "Keep the necklace on you at all times. Do not remove it. It will protect you."
I wanted to ask how he knew about Zephyros. About the necklace. About far too many things he hadn’t been present to witness.
But his voice already carried the weight of farewell.
"And remember," he added firmly, "do not cause any more trouble. Keep the Bloodveil vial with you at all times. Drink from it daily, just to be safe. Supplies will not be an issue—I’ll have Sebastian send you more every week."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone for a long moment before lowering it, my reflection in the mirror pale and shaken. Slowly, I returned to the room and lay down on my bed.
That was when the fear truly crept back in.
Morgana.
The noble vampire woman was here. Somewhere within this girl’s dormitory walls.
Nobles were on an entirely different level from ordinary vampires—power, authority, privilege.
Technically, they weren’t supposed to enter student dormitories... but rules were flexible for those who had the power to bend them.
Just knowing she was in the same building made my skin prickle.
I closed my eyes and saw her again—those red eyes, sharp and amused. The glint of fangs beneath her smile.
Shivering, I forced myself up and began preparing the room.
I scattered garlic cloves and lines of salt along every entrance, every window, every crack I could find. The scent became overwhelming, sharp and pungent, but I didn’t care.
I left the lamp on, flooding the room with warm light, and made sure Caroline had garlic close to her bedside as well.
If there was one thing I refused to compromise on, it was our safety.
At this point, the only thing missing was a garlic necklace around my own throat. I half-considered making one. Perhaps even sleeping on a bed of garlic for good measure.
Paranoia, perhaps—but alive paranoia was better than dead confidence.
Only when the room was thoroughly warded, surrounded by garlic and salt and trembling hope, did I finally lie back down.
The smell was really nauseating especially since I have heightened senses.
Sleep claimed me slowly.
Caroline and I slept that night unaware that this was only the beginning.
And that the academy, with all its ancient stone and whispered magic, was not a place of learning—but a crucible.
One that would break us... or force us to become something far darker than we ever intended.
