Zeda followed Mr. Carl back to the administration building, heading for her meeting with Mr. Percival.
Her phone was buzzing with messages from the crew's group chat, which Darcy had added her to.
Vyr had gotten his way, and now both he and Zeda would play the lead roles in the drama for party night.
Everyone in the chat was voicing their opinions, with lots of negative comments aimed at her.
"You don't have to worry too much about what the crew thinks about you, dear," Mr. Carl said as he drove. "You just need to focus on the drama and make it unforgettable. You'll be the first new student in Shadowbrook's history to be part of any event at the new intakes party."
Zeda nodded, feeling a little better after his words.
But then, acting with Vyr would be so hard. How long could she last without slapping him because of his arrogance?
Zeda took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she got closer to Mr. Percival's office.
"Come in, Zeda," she heard his voice say before she even knocked.
Just how good were vampire senses? she wondered, walking in.
She didn't see Mr. Percival in his office chair. Instead, he was sprawled on one of the couches near the fireplace, utterly relaxed with a glass of wine.
It was a strange sight for the academy's director, who usually made every student feel primal fear.
"Good afternoon, sir," Zeda greeted. "I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't realize I'd spend so much time with the crew."
She held her breath as Mr. Percival sat up and stared at her with those piercing red eyes.
"Who said you're late?" he asked with a slow smile.
"Uh, I was..."
"I didn't give you a specific time, dear. I just said 'today,' which means anytime as long as it's today," he explained.
Zeda nodded, rubbing her suddenly sweaty palms on her skirt.
"Come have a seat. We should talk."
Zeda nervously walked to the couches and sat across from him, looking everywhere but his face.
Her eyes landed on the thick red liquid in the glass he'd just put on the coffee table.
And then it hit her. He was drinking blood! Whose blood was that? Had someone been killed?
She glanced at his face and saw him watching her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
She swallowed hard. "Uh, so...rry...is...th..."
"Blood?" Mr. Percival interrupted.
She nodded, afraid she'd crossed a line she shouldn't have.
"Yes, it's blood," he said smoothly. "Pig's blood, though."
"Pig's blood?" Zeda asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Mr. Percival replied. "It's the blood given to all vampires in the academy."
Zeda sat up. "I thought vampires fed on human blood?"
"Yes, it's the best for us. But in Shadowbrook, every vampire strictly feeds on pig's blood. Unless they go on missions, and maybe after defeating an enemy, they're allowed to drink from them," he said.
"How do they control the urge for human blood when they're surrounded by humans in the academy?" Zeda asked.
"That was their first training," Mr. Percival replied. "All new vampire students were always locked in the vampire kingdom where they learned to control their bloodlust around humans. It's a tough process, but some learn quickly, some take longer. But all vampires in the academy must succeed before they're allowed to move freely."
"Just like how all werewolves are trained to shift whenever they want, and not just on a full moon?" Zeda asked.
Mr. Percival nodded. "Yes, dear. Both groups have a required first training." He added, "I see your roommate has told you a lot already."
Zeda smiled. "Yes, she did. She's actually a friend now."
Mr. Percival smiled, looking impressed. "I'm glad you two bonded easily. She's made my work easier too. Tell me what she told you."
Zeda told Mr. Percival about her talks with Carrie, and he listened quietly without interrupting or showing any expression.
"She did well," he said when Zeda finished. "She told you the basic things you needed to know about the school. Now I have to tell you what you need to know about yourself."
Zeda felt anxious, waiting for him to drop some huge news about her.
She was also curious to learn everything about herself, no matter how strange it might be.
"Tell me, Zeda," Mr. Percival said. "What do you think about yourself and why you're here at Shadowbrook Academy?"
Zeda thought about his question before answering. "To be honest, sir, I just think I'm a normal human being who happens to have the same eye color as some kind of... genus, or whatever you call it."
"Why?" He asked
Zeda shrugged. "I don't feel anything supernatural in me."
Mr. Percival chuckled. "What if I told you that your powers are hidden?"
Zeda frowned. "Hidden? Why?"
"I wish I knew. Every supernatural being gets their powers before the age of eighteen, and your profile says you're nineteen."
Zeda sat up. "So what can I do for them to show up?"
"That's a good question," Mr. Percival smiled. "Most powers show up through strong emotions, especially anger, a strong need to protect someone, and self-defense. Others just appear naturally from birth, or through lessons and training."
"Carrie said I could be a mage because of my eyes, and I could be really powerful if my powers appear because it's like I've already ascended the realm," Zeda revealed.
"That's right," Mr. Percival affirmed. "But for us to find out, we need to take some steps."
"I guess you have a plan for me, sir?" Zeda asked.
"Yes, dear, that's why you're here," Mr. Percival said with a supportive smile.
She nodded. "I'm in."
Mr. Percival grinned and sat up. "We'll use two methods to make sure your powers appear. First, you'll go on missions given to the mage kingdom, because you're part of them now. You'll also join mixed missions that include the best fighters from all kingdoms. The idea is for the feelings you'll experience on these missions—like self-defense, the need to protect someone, and even anger—to trigger your powers.
"Second, the most powerful mage in Shadowbrook Academy will tutor you and guide you in training. I've already made the arrangements. I believe if you go through these processes, your powers will appear in no time."
Zeda was about to ask who her tutor would be when the door opened.
A tall, thin, seriously good-looking guy with long blonde hair walked in, looking perfect in his neatly ironed shirt, blazer, and shiny shoes.
He must be a model, Zeda thought. Look at that glow.
"Mr. Percival, good afternoon," the guy greeted. His silky voice matched his luxurious hair.
"Prince Adrian, you came at the perfect time," Mr. Percival replied and motioned for him to sit down.
Zeda gasped. He's the prince of the mage kingdom?
Adrian glanced at her as he sat down beside her, the air immediately filled with the comforting sweetness of his vanilla scent.
She stared at his gorgeous face, his beautiful silver eyes, pointed nose, and chiseled jaw standing out.
"I was telling her about the tutoring plan before you walked in," Mr. Percival explained.
"I see," Adrian replied, with a quick glance at her.
"Zeda, this is Prince Adrian. He's the prince of the mage kingdom, and he'll be your personal tutor," Mr. Percival introduced. "Adrian, this is Zeda, your personal student and responsibility from now on."
Zeda put on her brightest smile as she turned to shake Adrian's hand. He ignored her and instead frowned at Mr. Percival.
"She's just my student, not my responsibility," he said flatly.
"She is," Mr. Percival replied smoothly. "You're responsible for her powers appearing from now on, and her safety, especially on missions, is in your hands. At least until she gets her powers."
Adrian let out a frustrated sigh and glared at her. "She better be a fast learner. I wouldn't want to be stuck with such a responsibility for long. You, of all people, should know how much I value my time and privacy."
Zeda frowned. She wasn't the one who picked him as her tutor, so why was he mad at her?
Mr. Percival shrugged. "I do, but you're the perfect person to be her tutor right now."
"Whatever," Adrian muttered, looking at her from head to toe like she was a bug.
Mr. Percival stood up, a signal that they were done talking. They followed suit.
"Prince Adrian, you should take her to the mage kingdom and show her around, and make your plans yourselves."
Adrian didn't reply.
Mr. Percival took a document from his drawer and handed it to Zeda.
"This is your academic class schedule. You both should set your training times so they don't clash with your classes," he said, glancing at both of them.
Zeda put the document in her bag. "Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. I wish you the best in your training," Mr. Percival said and smiled. "Don't push yourself too hard."
"She should," Adrian cut in.
"She shouldn't," Mr. Percival replied, giving Adrian a stern look.
Adrian glared at her instead. Zeda couldn't help it. She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Thank you, sir, I won't push myself too hard," She said.
Adrian scoffed and stormed out. Zeda followed grudgingly, the weight of her predicament pressing down on her.
Adrian Quill, the Mage Prince, was her personal tutor, tasked with helping her unlock her hidden powers.
And he made it clear he considered it a monumental waste of his time.
Would they ever get along, or was this just the beginning of a much bigger fight?