Of Fae and Hate

Clearly, he’s more than a little pressed and it doesn’t help that I feign to be unbothered.

I only half listen to the teacher go on and on about the introduction to fae studies and what he’ll cover this year. And when the class is over, I slowly stand, grabbing my bag. For some reason, a part of me wants to bait the vamp, to see what he’ll actually do.

So I purposefully stand in his way as I stuff my books in my bag.

A low growl pierces my ears and I look up to find him less than an inch away. He’s over a foot taller than me and as those pale eyes stare down at me, I’m sure I should feel intimidation but instead it's an exciting foreign emotion that I can’t quite put my finger on.

“You’re purposefully infuriating me,” he snarls.

“It’s not my fault you seem to have a quick fuse.”

“I have one headache to deal with already, I won’t deal with another.”

His words make me think of his confrontation with Soskia in the quad.

Is she his other headache?

“What’s your name?” he snaps, folding his arms over his chest as he stares me down.

“Why?” I toss my bag over my shoulder.

“I need it to report you to Sprouse,” he says and I don’t miss the way he doesn’t bother saying the academic director’s name with respect.

Definitely an entitled prick of a bloodsucker.

“Oh great, just tell her Nerys and she’ll know exactly who you’re talking about.”

“Your last name?” he asks and it’s almost as if he’s oblivious to the fact that he isn’t forcing me into giving him my identity.

“No last name needed,” I tell him. “She’ll know who I am”

He raises a brow. “You think you’re that important?”

I move closer to him, taking delight in the way a muscle jumps in his jaw when I tap a thumb on his cheek. “Correction, I know I’m that important, fanger.”

And with that, I turn on my heels, leaving the vampire stewing in my wake.

***

The rest of my classes go off without a hitch until lunchtime.

I look around the cafeteria, a frown on my face. The cafeteria is huge, but that’s not surprising, everything here seems to be oversized. Our dorm, which I thought would be small and just enough room for everyone to sleep is more like a glamorous apartment. There’s five individual rooms with walk-in closets and an adjoining bathroom. The kitchen is connected to the large open living room space. Once I’d gotten to look around I understood why there was only six dorms to a floor.

The cafeteria holds at least fifty round tables, each with some kind of square box sitting in the middle. Already, most of the tables are full. There isn’t a lunch line and I’m not sure of how I’ll actually get my tray.

“Nerys!” Clemmen calls my name, waving me over. She’s sitting at one of the tables with Zo. Letting out a breath of relief, I make my way over. I haven’t gotten to know them too well yet but so far they’ve both been nice enough.

I sit down, dropping my bag on the ground next to me. “Hey.” I wave at Zoenne who seems to be brimming with an excited energy as she drums her fingers along the table. “How does this whole lunch thing work?” I ask, looking at Clemmen. “I didn’t see the line.”

“The line?” She laughs, pushing a green lock out of her face. She reaches to the middle of the table where there’s a button sitting on top of the square little box. She presses down on the red button and a sprite appears above it, catching me off guard.

“What may I get for you?”

“Oh.” My lips part in surprise as I stare at the magical creature.

What did you expect? That a magical school would run like a human school?

"What’s on the menu?” I ask the little creature.