Half Blood Rising

Chapter 26

Karina was a bit shocked seeing me awake and ready for action around seven o’clock in the morning.

Apparently, everyone was done with Moscow and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

She jumped on me, hugged me, and asked millions of questions before she allowed me to explain

anything at all. She had no idea I’d woken up in the middle of the night and bumped into Lachlan in the

kitchen. Everyone else was a little shocked, too, when they saw me at breakfast looking lucid and not a

giant mess.

“I mean, you can all stop staring at me. I’m fine, well, and I ain’t planning to kill anyone today.” I tried to

joke, but it just added a bit more fuel to the fire.

“It’s not a joke,” Dimitry said in his thick Russian accent, and I thought he should audition for films, he

would have been a great actor.

I started eating, realising my stomach was growling with hunger, while everyone else was staring at

me. Roxanna made excellent coffee and eggs. I was going to miss her.

“Okay, I mean, we’re heading back to Kiev soon enough,” I said, thinking I owed the group an

explanation, but first, I needed to speak to Oldman about everything that had happened that night.

Apparently, she’d already returned to Kiev for an urgent matter, and I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her

yet. Our flight was leaving this afternoon. In a way, I was looking forward to getting back to a normal

routine. I was so done with being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“How are you feeling?” Judas asked me, and I was a little surprised that he’d asked the question first. I

placed a large pancake on my plate and splashed some syrup on top. I was bloody starving.

“Good, the dark energy has almost diminished, and I managed to sleep for a while,” I said and started

eating.

Lachlan was watching me as usual, sitting opposite me. That seemed to satisfy Judas and everyone

else, at least for now, because for a long moment, no one was saying anything. We were all trying to

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It wasn’t going to be easy to reveal the real truth, but we were all partners and they needed to trust me.

This nightmare was behind me, but the horrific memories remained. I could still hear the mage’s

terrifying screams, but I just had to breathe.

After breakfast, Dimitry had given a little speech, praising us all for the job we’d completed, wishing us

good luck in the future. It was possible that, at some point, we would return to Moscow, but for now,

everyone seemed to be done with Russia.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Karina asked later as we were packing in our room. The plane was leaving

in about three hours, and our ride was going to arrive at any moment.

“I’m not a hundred percent, but I’ll get there. The whole thing is complicated,” I told her, trying to fit

everything into a small suitcase. “Once I talk to Oldman, I’ll explain everything, but please, bear with

me. I just don’t want to scare you.” She seemed to accept my answer, because she nodded and didn’t

press any further on the subject.

An hour later, we were sitting outside our gate ready for departure. The airport was busy, and I felt a

little sick. Nerves about flying were slowly getting to me, but once onboard the plane, I ended up sitting

next to Lachlan. He even held my hand during take-off.

“I’ve got you, beautiful, so chill out and just enjoy the ride,” he said once our seatbelts were buckled,

and everyone else was settled. My heart was thumping loudly inside my chest during the entire flight. I

was scared, but Lachlan kept talking to me, trying to distract me from my nerves and the fact we were

several thousand feet in the air.

I was overjoyed when we landed and managed to go through security quickly. A van with the Moonlight

logo was waiting for us at the airport. It was extremely humid once again in Ukraine, and I kind of

preferred it that way. Russia’s summer seemed disappointing.

“I hope we won’t have to leave for another mission anytime soon. I’m kind of exhausted,” Karina said,

once we returned to our dorm. Nothing had changed there, it was basic, and it stunk of mould a bit, but

it was our little home. I was so relieved being here again.

“I hear that,” I said, jumping on the bed. It was going to be a relaxing day today, but first, I needed to

head to Oldman’s office, so I could get this conversation over and done with. “I’ll be back in a bit; I think

the principal is in her office, and we’re overdue for a chat. Don’t start any parties without me.”

“Don’t sweat it,” she said. “I think the boys want to have drinks at the bar down the street later, that’s

all. We aren’t planning anything else.”

I took a deep breath and told myself she was probably expecting me. The council hadn’t arrested me

yet, so I had nothing to worry about—at least for now. However, I didn’t want to celebrate too soon.

Several minutes later I stood outside her office, still a little hesitant, suddenly filled with anxiety that

soon I would have to leave Moonlight. Oldman must have sensed me outside, because she opened the

door as I was just about to walk back to my room. This was absurd. I told myself that she was on my

side.

“I was just about to send for you,” she said, giving me a smile. “Come on in.”

She was diffusing some essential oils and the smell calmed me instantly. I wasn’t planning to hide

anything, I needed to be open and honest about what happened out in the field; otherwise there was no

point staying at Moonlight. Catherine Oldman was fae, and maybe she had similar experiences with her

magic.

We sat down and silence filled the space for a little while.

“So, let’s just get straight to the point, shall we?” she said. “The High Council has been pressing me to

question you, but I have managed to steer them away for now. Tell me everything you remember from

that night.”

I was slowly calming down, and I had a feeling she had something to do with it. I took another deep

breath and started talking. She didn’t need to know I had a little disagreement with Lachlan or the fact

we’d been intimate. It wasn’t relevant, but everything else was.

It wasn’t easy going through the events of that night once again, but Oldman was listening, taking

everything in. I went over how I’d felt when we’d arrived at the club, when I started to feel the magic

there, then colourised my fight with Lachlan a bit, and then my lonely walk around the streets when I

needed some time away. When I got to the part where Leonidas started drinking from me, the principal

appeared horrified, but I kept talking. I remembered that moment very clearly, then paused, preparing

to tell the worst. My stomach tightened, but it was time to be honest with myself, honest with her.

“And then I just exploded, I mean, it was like my energy became a ticking time bomb, exactly the way

you described it before,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “All the vampires were killed instantly, and then I

burnt that mage alive. The fire came out of nowhere, the flames consumed him in a matter of seconds.

He was dead before I knew it.”

Catherine Oldman’s eyes widened in shock as she tried to process this information. I was expecting

that kind of reaction from her, but that wasn’t all I needed to say. There was more to it.

“So, it was you,” she said.

“Yes, it was my magic that killed all those vampires, but I couldn’t control it. Even the flames, I didn’t

want him to die, but it just happened. The mage said something to me before he died. He said that his

master thought I had no abilities, that the experiment was successful, and if I killed him, I couldn’t stand

by him,” I explained, trying to remember everything he’d told me.

That was it—my confession. I was expecting the worst, because I’d committed heinous crimes against

supernaturals, even if some of it had been in self-defence. Oldman was probably thinking about

reporting me to the council now, and they were going to arrest me. I was ready for it. I was a monster,

something that shouldn’t exist. I was too dangerous to be walking free—like a ticking bomb that could

go off at any moment. Silence stretched for some time as Oldman was thinking. It was hard to read her

emotions or aura. She was much more experienced than me, so she knew how to keep her mind

closed off.

Then she stood from her seat, paced around her office for a bit before saying:

“You’re fae—a very powerful one, and a half-vampire. A unique half-breed … this is incredible.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? I killed all those vampires. I was the cause of that massacre. I’m a freak,” I

said, raising my voice, thinking that maybe she didn’t really understand what happened out there.

“Sit, Jaymin, and calm down. You’re not a freak,” she said. “You’re an extraordinary creature who hasn’t

been trained. Those vampires were working against the council, so no one is going to miss them. And

the mage, well, apparently, he has been on the council’s radar for quite some time.” I did what she said,

although I wasn’t sure if this was really happening.

“Right, so what’s going to happen now?” I asked. I was certain I didn’t want to return to the streets.

That part of my life was over for good.

“Your future is here in this school, and we will help you unleash your potential. We will train you, so this

sort of outburst won’t happen again. Fae magic is extremely complicated, and combined with your

vampire abilities, could be lethal. I’ll find a way to direct the council’s attention away from you,” Oldman

stated. “Things with the Elite Academy are still complicated, as well, from what you’ve said, I

understand that the councillor was working against them, so that issue needs to be addressed. In a few

months, you and possibly Lachlan, will go undercover as students of the Elite. We need some inside

information, and going forward, someone from the council believes this is a reasonable solution.”

At that point, my jaw was on the floor. Oldman couldn’t be serious. She was going to keep me in the

school, and then send me out on another mission? This sounded unbelievable.

“But what if someone finds out what I—”

“We don’t need to worry about that for now. Just study and train hard. I will assign a personal advisor to

you for your curriculum. Let me worry about the council from now on. You’re special, Jaymin, more than

you realise, but that energy of yours—it must be tamed, and that will take a bit of work.”

Her words echoed inside my head. I’d wanted to learn who I was for so long, and now it was finally

happening. Oldman kept staring at me with amazement. I thought this was really the end, that she was

going to expel me.

“Thank you, Principal Oldman. I mean, I have no idea what to say,” I said, standing from my chair and

reaching out for her hand. She shook mine, smiling.

“No need to thank me,” she added. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t control yourself. Now, go and

enjoy the rest of your day. Classes resume tomorrow, and everything will follow through. You have

done well, so has the rest of the team. The school has been compensated, and you will be paid as well.

This is good news, Jaymin.”

That was the end of the conversation. I nodded, and then left her office, feeling like I was walking on

clouds. A huge weight dropped from my chest. Someone had finally given me a chance, even after

what I’d done.

“See, hen, I told you that you couldn’t get rid of me so easily.” A thick Scottish accent startled me

outside the door. I turned around, seeing Lachlan. He was leaning against the wall as if he’d been

waiting for me the entire time. He looked good wearing a grey T-shirt and slightly unshaven.

“I figured as much,” I said, walking up to him. The bloodlust returned. I wanted him again.

“I think this next task will be awesome. Me and you working closely together,” he said, sounding

mischievous. “I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.” There was that sparkle in his eye. I bit my

bottom lip and then did something I thought I’d never do under any other circumstances. I brought him

closer and then kissed him hard. It was unexpected, I didn’t plan it, but in that moment, my feelings

were so overwhelming, and my instincts took over.

He groaned as I caressed his mouth against my own, nipping at his lip between my teeth teasingly

before darting my tongue inside his mouth. He seemed shocked at first, but then he responded. His

tongue grazed my fangs. Then heat began consuming me again. Lachlan grabbed the back of my

neck, turning my head to allow more access, and I knew it was time to stop this.

“What? What was that about?” he rasped, staring at me with his fangs descended as I playfully backed

away.

“Nothing, I was just testing my theory.” I giggled, turned around, and ran back to my dorm, thinking I

was going to regret that later. He seemed too shocked to follow me.

He was right; we were stuck together, but this time, the future seemed much brighter than before.

The End of Book 1