Chapter 28: The One Person

The wind howled outside the window, its mournful wails echoing through the cracks which increased the anxiety inside the room. Ruelle sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. Her body was tense and her hands trembled slightly as they rested on her lap. As it was night, there was a silence that waited to be disrupted.

Across the room, Hailey paced restlessly, clearly more troubled than Ruelle herself.

“I should go before Blake arrives,” Ruelle finally murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

The last thing Ruelle wanted was to intrude further into Hailey’s space, especially when her friend’s Elite roommate could return any moment. Lesson learnt, vampires—no matter what kind—weren’t to be trifled with.

Hailey stopped mid-step, shaking her head furiously. Her voice wavered,

“What? No! Blake’s been at the library for hours. She probably won’t be back for a while. And even if she does, where do you plan on going? They could be hunting for you. Or worse, waiting right around the corner.”

Ruelle pressed her shaky hands harder into her lap, trying to still the trembling. She knew Hailey was right. But she couldn’t stay and hide here forever. Sooner or later, Alanna or her lackeys would find her.

Her mind replayed the events from earlier: Alanna’s sneer, the knitting needle piercing flesh, the sickening sight of blood. Oh, the blood… What had she done?

“Maybe we can share the bed,” Hailey suggested on a spur, her voice softening as she glanced at the narrow cot designed for Groundlings. It was pitifully small, a reminder of how human students were treated at Sexton compared to their vampire counterparts. Blake’s bed, spacious and luxurious, loomed like a silent reminder of the gap between them and the Elites.

Ruelle smiled faintly, grateful for her friend’s kindness. She replied, “Thank you, Hailey, but I should look for another place.”

Where could she go? Complaining to the faculty was out of the question. She hadn’t forgotten how Mr. Mortis had dismissed June’s petty antics without so much as a second glance. The staff didn’t care about Groundlings, and the humans knew it all too well.

It was then that Ezekiel crossed her mind.

A faint glimmer of hope flickered. He was part of the staff, and now that they were family, perhaps he could help. She considered the weight of reaching out to him—her sister’s husband.

“I doubt an apology letter would work,” Hailey sighed, rubbing her forehead in tension. “I knew it was a bad idea to confront her earlier!” She dropped onto the bed beside Ruelle, her face drawn with worry. “It is all June’s fault. But maybe they will forget tomorrow. Everything will be fine,” she tried to assure, but the uncertainty in her voice was unmistakable.

Ruelle’s gaze shifted, falling on Hailey’s hands as she reached for the lantern to lower its flame. Her eyes widened with concern. The skin on Hailey’s hands was reddened and raw, the marks of fresh burns.

“What happened to your hands, Hailey?” Ruelle asked in a soft, lowered voice.

Hailey chuckled softly, trying to downplay the injury. She said, “Oh, this? It’s nothing. My fault really… I wasn’t paying attention while ironing Tess’s robe. She needed a shoulder massage at the same time, and it—burned a little.”

Ruelle’s heart tightened with guilt. She had been so caught up in her own fears that she had failed to notice Hailey’s suffering. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around her friend in a gentle embrace, her voice with regret.

“I’m so sorry, Hailey. You did the best you could. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Hailey smiled weakly, leaning into the comfort of the hug before they pulled away. “How do you always know just what to say?” she asked, her tone lighter. It was because comfort and reassurance were luxuries Ruelle had scarcely known—gifts withheld in her youth, but ones she had always longed to receive.

“We should visit the infirmary to have the herb applied on it,” Ruelle suggested.

“It will be fine,” Hailey replied with a smile.

Before either of them could speak again, the doorknob creaked, and both girls jumped in their seats with their hearts racing. The door swung open, revealing Hailey’s Elite roommate, Blake Stelaris. Her expression was calm and serious, which now turned to wonder.

“Is there a reason you’re sitting in the dark?” Blake asked, her voice calm but carrying the weight of someone used to being answered promptly. “A little late to be out of your room,” she added with her gaze shifting to Ruelle.

Hailey shot up from the bed, bowing her head quickly. She stammered, “We… we had a little problem.”

Blake closed the door behind her, setting her things down with care before she noticed her human roommate wanted to continue the conversation. She asked, “What kind of problem?”

But Ruelle was the one who replied, “I… stabbed an Elite. It wasn’t intentional. Alanna came to my room and attacked me. I— it was an accident.” Guilt wrapped around her words.

“Which is why she can’t go back to her room! Ruelle is in danger!” Hailey added in a slightly high pitched voice.

Though the vampiress didn’t particularly involve herself with the Groundlings, she noticed her roommate resembled a hyper squirrel and the other human who hid her trembling fingers behind her.

Blake responded, “It does sound like a problem. Stabbing an Elite isn’t good news, except maybe for Jinxy, who will be ecstatic.” She paused, studying Ruelle for a beat longer and said, “Alanna won’t let this go. She’s persistent.”

Ruelle swallowed hard. That much she had gathered with tonight’s turn of events. One way to go about it was like many other humans here, where they kissed the ground the Elites walked on. To be bullied forever. She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing if she had just stayed quiet, it wouldn’t have come to this. There was no one to blame but herself for not realising that the vampires ruled this and every place outside.

Even if she chose to hide and sleep somewhere else, it would still one day result in her crossing paths with at least one more Elite vampire to get her into more trouble. Neither could she quit.

Sometimes silence was the price of survival, but silence came with its own cost. And Ruelle was learning it now.

“What do you suggest, Lady Blake?” Hailey asked in worry.

Blake considered the question for a moment, her arms crossing over her chest. She remarked calmly,

“One way to avoid further trouble—become untouchable.” Ruelle frowned. Untouchable? The vampiress continued, “Certain humans here are bound to an Elite. They can’t be harmed because they belong to someone of higher rank. Like Aries.”

“Aries? Like the zodiac sign?” Hailey asked clearly confused.

“No. Aries is the human bound in chains. You must have seen him around,” and as the vampiress said this, realisation dawned on their faces. “It offers protection, but there’s a cost. And it doesn’t happen until after the second set of grades are released, which is months away.”

Ruelle felt a shiver crawl down her spine at the thought of being bound, chained like that person. The very idea twisted her stomach in knots. It was too horrifying to even consider.

Blake’s gaze softened slightly, as if understanding the turmoil playing out behind Ruelle’s eyes. She then said, “There’s one last option.” Ruelle leaned in, desperate for any alternative. “You could switch rooms.”

“But…all the rooms are already full,” Ruelle pointed out.

“For Groundlings, yes,” Blake gave a small, knowing smile. She continued, “But not for Elites. There are a few who don’t have roommates.”

“Elites like you?” Ruelle asked hopefully, her tone soft.

Blake’s lips curled into a faint smile, not just at the question but at the unintentional compliment hidden beneath the words. The vampiress studied the human girl a little closer. She advised,

“You should find which roommate is most favourable for you.”

The word most stuck out to Ruelle. Curious, she asked, “Why don’t they have roommates? The few Elites.”

Blake’s lips pursed before she carefully answered, “They did. But not anymore.”

The implication hung in the air like a drop of blood in water, and Ruelle’s eyes widened just slightly in realisation. She was going to die here, with blood sucked out from her or worse, she thought to herself. But after a second, the vampiress said carefully,

“Except for one. But he won’t take a roommate.”

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