Chapter 59: Crimson Bloom

Ruelle woke up to the soft, persistent chirp that seeped through the thin walls. Light spilt in through the cracks of the curtain. The fireplace had turned cold.

Her eyes drifted across the room. Lucian was gone. His bed lay neat, and she couldn’t tell if he had stayed away all night or slipped out before she woke up. Her gaze then moved to the floor, where the shattered remains of glassware from last night had disappeared, as if what transpired was only a dream.

Looking at the velvet box sitting on her desk, she reached for it.

“I should have worn them two nights ago…” Ruelle whispered as she stared at the earrings. “I shouldn’t have listened to him.”

Thanks to him, she would now fall into the bottom of the student ladder, exposed to scorn and humiliation. She had slapped him… something that still didn’t feel real. That wasn’t her. She didn’t do things like that. Not even when she was angry.

A sudden knock at the door broke her thoughts.

“Ruelle? Are you awake?” Hailey’s voice bubbled through, bright and eager. “We have to head to the river!”

Ruelle pushed off the blanket and tucked the box into her bag before opening the door. She greeted cheerfully, “Good morning, Hailey.”

“You haven’t even gotten dressed!” Hailey’s eyes widened as she swept into the room like a gust of spring air. “I took the liberty of checking in after spotting Lucian in the corridor. Now hurry—and don’t forget your bloomers,” she added, hiking her dress slightly to reveal the off-white cotton fabric just below her knees.

“Are we getting in the water?” Ruelle asked, walking toward her trunk.

“I thought it was better to be prepared,” Hailey said with a grin.

Ruelle pulled out a dress, which was softer and paler than her usual browns and greys. It was pastel pink. Combing her hair, she tied it with a ribbon.

“That won’t do,” Hailey declared, shaking her head.

“I think it’s perfectly fine,” Ruelle replied, turning to look at her.

Hailey, who had tied half of her hair and let the rest down, waved her hand. “Sit. I’ll fix it.”

Ruelle sat as Hailey’s fingers worked. Her golden blonde hair was braided across the crown and pinned delicately, while soft strands were left to hover beside her temples and brush across her forehead.

When she stood and checked her reflection, she asked, “Better?”

“Very,” Hailey smiled. “You’re going to knock the breath out of a few lungs today.”

Away from the Sexton main buildings’ looming stone walls, Ruelle and Hailey followed the forest path. Dew from the grass beaded on their ankles. Coniferous trees filtered sunlight into soft beams.

Voices drifted ahead, growing louder.

“Everyone’s already started enjoying!” Hailey’s voice bubbled with excitement—until Ruelle stiffened and Hailey’s smile faltered.

“Not everyone,” Ruelle murmured, frozen. Six Groundlings—humans—stood with apples perched precariously on their heads, while second-year vampires aimed arrows straight at them. One of the Groundlings flinched as the arrow whipped past, sending a ripple of cruel laughter through the onlookers.

“Bullseye on the trembling one, and you take my carriage,” a tall vampire taunted in competition.

“Carriage? I hope it comes with horses,” his friend joked.

“If you want the horses, you better aim at the bottom of that apple,” the vampire who spoke earlier smirked, turning to the trembling Groundling.

“They’re going to have an arrow in their head…” Ruelle whispered with a frown.

“They volunteered,” Hailey said quietly, tugging at Ruelle’s sleeve. “Come on.”

They stepped next to an old tree whose thick branches arched over the river. From them hung wide ropes. One adventurous human grabbed a rope and swung high before letting go, plunging with a thunderous splash.

While Ruelle watched the students plunge into the river one after another, her attention lingered on the water that sparkled in the sun. Laughter rippled from the bank, over the surface of the river and echoing off the trees.

Though she was unaware of the gazes she had begun to catch. Male ones especially.

Some of the students seemed to stop mid-conversation or halfway through what they were doing. Their gazes held longer on her than usual—drawn by her softened appearance. She looked like spring caught in motion with wind tugging a wisp of hair onto her face. She brushed it away absently, smiling faintly as she observed a boy let go of the rope and fall into the river with a splash loud enough to rattle the branches.

“That looks like fun,” Ruelle murmured, her gaze never leaving the water.

A few girls sat along the bank with skirts hitched slightly, feet dipped in the river, their giggles carrying as softly as wind chimes.

“Oh, it is!” came a breathless voice behind her.

“Oh my God, Kevin!” Hailey squeaked, placing a hand to her chest. “What happened to you?”

Ruelle turned in time to see Kevin dripping wet, his shirt clinging to him like a second skin. His curls were matted down, and water streamed in trails off his arms.

“I couldn’t resist,” he said, breathless but grinning. “It was either jump or get conscripted into that ridiculous vampire archery game. And I quite like my head free of arrows.”

Hailey rolled her eyes. “You look like a drenched squirrel.”

“You are just jealous,” Kevin replied with mock offence.

Ruelle laughed quietly at them.

They settled on the grassy bank when the soft clip-clop of hooves was heard. They turned their heads to look at the horses that emerged from the forest trail. After a minute or so, Ruelle’s gaze fell on Lucian.

He stood tall and composed, but with a tightness in his jaw that betrayed something darker than usual. His eyes sharp as they scanned the river ahead with disinterest. He wore a black cloak that clung to his frame and gloves. And though he stood with the other senior Elites, he commanded space quietly.

“What’s with the horses?” Kevin asked, louder than he had intended.

“Those are for hunting, Mr. Reynolds.”

The voice belonged to none other than Ezekiel. He stood a few steps away on the riverbank, hands neatly folded behind his back. Ruelle blinked in surprise, as she hadn’t expected instructors to attend today too.

“Hunting?” Ruelle asked, glancing between Ezekiel and the vampires now mounting the horses.

“The Elite students have chosen to engage in a hunt within the heart of the forest,” Ezekiel explained. “It is a tradition. It is considered… more primal than swimming. A way to let their instincts free and whoever returns with the biggest kill wins.”

“How pleasant,” Ruelle remarked with a slight frown.

“I wonder how it even plays out,” Kevin said, tone curious. “Wouldn’t mind a glimpse of it myself.”

“If you want to end up as the biggest catch,” Hailey muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Ezekiel’s lips curved faintly, though his eyes remained hollow. “Ms. Elliot is correct, of course. Yet there’s no formal rule forbidding Groundlings from joining the Elites in these hunts. If you are feeling courageous today….” he left his words hanging in the air as if almost wanting the young man to turn into bait.

“Maybe next time,” Kevin decided.

It was only a matter of time before the vampires and vampiresses mounted their horses, each carrying a crossbow before disappearing into the deeper side of the forest.

Far away from the river’s side, Lucian urged his horse forward, the forest enveloping him in deeper silence with the wind rushing. The sound of the hooves scattered while Sawyer rode parallel to him while Blake and Angelina followed close behind.

Blake leaned toward Angelina, voice low. She asked, “Is it me, or is Lucian… different today?”

Angelina’s gaze flicked to Lucian and she remarked, “I thought he was just being Lucian. But he does seem quieter than normal.”

Lucian had already raised his crossbow and released the arrow when the nearby bush shook. It only had a rabbit jump out and scatter away for its life.

“Sawyer!” Angelina called her twin.

Sawyer pulled his reins. “What is it?”

“What’s going on?” Angelina enquired.

“The rabbit is just a warm-up. We’ll find a bigger one,” Sawyer replied playfully.

“I mean him. And you too,” Angelina frowned.

“Oh, that,” Sawyer replied, remembering what occurred last night. He laughed. “It came as a complete surprise. Last night, we were standing in the corridor when—”

Before he could finish, Lucian released an arrow, which whistled past Sawyer’s head and thudded into a nearby tree.

Sawyer reined in sharply. “You almost shot me!”

“Apologies. My hand slipped,” Lucian said evenly, without looking back, though the frost in his voice suggested otherwise.

Sawyer blinked, bewildered.

Lucian ignored him and turned his gaze deeper into the woods. He cocked his head and asked, “Do you hear that?”

“Soft…” Blake responded. “Could be a stag?”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “Heavy one.” With that, he nudged his horse forward, and the four of them moved silently into the forest’s depths.

Back at the riverbank, Ruelle bit into a slice of melon. Curiously then, she asked,

“Mr. Henley, do vampires have abilities?”

“Not everyone. Just the vampires who come from old bloodlines and there are just a handful of them,” Ezekiel replied, before asking, “What makes you ask?”

Ruelle shook her head, offering a polite smile. “No particular reason. It just crossed my mind.” She glanced at Hailey and Kevin, engrossed in their conversation, then looked back at Ezekiel. “How is Caroline doing?”

“She has been more than well. You shouldn’t worry about her, she’s been taken care of.” Ezekiel smiled, not wanting to talk about Caroline.

Ruelle nodded. She replied, “I’m glad she has you. I know my sister can be, well… stubborn, but she needed someone like you who is kind, patient, and understanding.”

Ezekiel’s lips twitched in a brief, almost hidden annoyance. Because every time he remembered how Mrs. Belmont had tricked him into marrying her younger daughter, and it made his blood boil.

His time was cut short as he was summoned by Mr. Mortis and he left their side.

An hour passed, and the sun had risen higher, warming the cold water. Some of the women soon turned playful. Their laughter spilt as they played Catch with each other near the riverbank.

“Let us join them, Ruelle,” Hailey pulled Ruelle by her arm. “No one’s watching! And besides, they are all soaked already.”

“I’m not very good at this,” Ruelle murmured with worry.

“Neither am I,” Hailey said with a wink. “But we don’t need to be. Let us just have fun.”

That made Ruelle laugh softly. “All right, just for a little while.”

“I caught you!” One of the women caught Hailey, and soon Ruelle moved away from her friend to avoid being caught.

What began as a careful game of Catch—skirts lifted delicately, it quickly unravelled. One girl lunged a little too far and another misstepped. A squeal erupted before a loud splash. Then another. Their laughter only grew contagious, and soon, they were waist-deep and cheeks flushed.

Ruelle felt the water soothe some part of her. When someone came to catch her, she moved further away. A laugh escaped from her lips. She didn’t know how long it had been since she laughed like this.

But not ten minutes into the water, the laughter began to dim. One by one, the women slowed, and their movements halted mid-step. Their gazes shifted towards her. Even the people standing at the bank seemed to stare and whisper to each other.

Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed as she turned puzzled by the sudden silence.

She blinked, a faint unease blooming in her chest. Why was everyone staring?

Her eyes caught Hailey across the river. Her friend wasn’t looking at her—she was looking down at the water. She quickly followed the line of her gaze and then she saw it.

A dark, crimson ring spread in a wide circle around her and her face turned pale.

“Is that… blood?” someone whispered.

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