Chapter 1: Pizza
POV: Raven Nightshade
The stone floor of the cathedral was cold enough to seep through my jeans and freeze my bones. I sat on the broken steps, watching the moonlight filter through the shattered roof. It had been nineteen years since Hex and Carmilla pulled me from this pile of rubble, ten years since they decided I was their lucky charm.
I checked my phone. 2:14 AM. Oakhaven was asleep, but the city never truly died. I stood up, brushing the dust from my skirt. My stomach growled, a loud sound that echoed in the empty nave. I wasn't hungry for blood or raw meat. I wanted grease and cheese and dough. I wanted pizza.
I walked through the hidden archway behind the altar. One step, and the smell of dust vanished. The next, I was breathing in the scent of rain and exhaust fumes. I was back in the human world.
The night shop on the corner was still open, its neon sign buzzing with a flickering pink light. I pushed the door open, the bell jingling cheerfully. The smell of oregano and melted mozzarella hit me instantly, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.
"One pepperoni, please," I told the clerk, a tired-looking man who didn't even look up from his magazine.
"Extra cheese?" he asked.
"Yes, please."
I waited by the counter, watching the steam rise from the oven. This was my secret ritual. Once a month, I slipped away from the Nightshade estate, crossed the veil, and ate pizza in the human world. It was the only time I felt like a normal girl, not a magical tool or a lucky charm.
When I got my box, I walked to the park bench across the street. I took a bite. The crust was crispy, the sauce tangy, the cheese stringy and hot. It was perfect. For a few minutes, I wasn't Raven Nightshade, the adopted human daughter of a vampire lord. I was just a girl eating pizza in the rain.
I finished the slice and wiped my mouth with a napkin. It was time to go back. The portal would close soon if I stayed too long. I walked back to the cathedral, the box in my hand. I stepped through the shimmering air, and the cold stone rushed back to meet me.
The transition was always jarring. One moment I was in the warm, humid night of Oakhaven, and the next I was in the artificial dawn of Nocturne City. The sky here was a perpetual twilight, painted in shades of violet and deep indigo. The sun never truly rose, but the city lights mimicked the morning.
I slipped into the Nightshade estate through the servant's entrance. The house was silent, but I knew the kitchen would be active. My parents were early risers, or rather, early sleepers who woke up when the rest of the world was just starting to dream.
I walked into the dining room. The long table was set with crystal goblets and silver platters. Hex and Carmilla were already seated. Hex looked up from his newspaper, his eyes warm. Carmilla smiled, her expression soft.
"You're back," Hex said, his voice deep and gentle. "I was wondering if you made it."
"I made it," I said, setting the empty pizza box on the sideboard. "I had a slice."
Carmilla laughed, a ligh sound. "Pepperoni again? You humans have such strange tastes."
"It's good," I said, taking a seat. "Better than the blood oranges you serve."
Hex chuckled. "You are incorrigible, my dear. But we are glad you are safe."
They were kind. That was the problem. They were so kind, so genuinely loving, that it made the rest of the world feel even colder. They treated me like a daughter, not a pet. They fed me, clothed me, and sent me to the best schools. But they also believed I was the reason their family thrived. I was the lucky charm. Without me, Hex's business would fail. Without me, Carmilla's magic would falter.
Virella entered the room, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor. She was my half sister, but we couldn't be more different. Her hair was a perfect shade of midnight blue, her skin pale and flawless. She wore a silk robe today.
She stopped when she saw the pizza box. Her lip curled in disgust.
"Did you eat that garbage again?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom. "It smells like grease."
"It's pizza, Virella," I said, keeping my voice steady. "And it smells fine."
"It smells like a human," she snapped. She walked over to her seat, ignoring the food in front of her. "One day, you're going to stay in that human world. You'll get stuck there, and you'll never come back. And then we'll be free of your bad luck."
The air in the room grew heavy. Hex cleared his throat, his expression tightening.
"That is enough, Virella," he said firmly. "Raven is our daughter. She is a Nightshade."
"She is a human," Virella corrected, her eyes flashing with a hint of red. "And she is a burden."
Carmilla reached out and touched Virella's hand. "Eat your breakfast, darling. We have a big day tomorrow."
Virella snatched her hand away but sat down. She didn't speak again, but her glare burned into the back of my head.
Hex looked at me, his expression serious. "Tomorrow is the first day at the Royal Academy. You must be on your best behavior. The Council is watching. The entire court is watching."
"I know," I said. "I'll be careful."
"Good," Hex said. "We expect nothing less."
I nodded, but my stomach twisted. The Academy was a place of politics and power. It was where the vampire elite learned to rule. And I was the only human there. I was a glitch in their perfect system.
I finished my breakfast in silence. The rest of the meal was tense, filled with unspoken threats and hidden resentments. When we were done, Hex stood up.
"Go get some rest," he said. "You need to be fresh for the wagon ride."
I left the dining room, my heart pounding. I went to my room and locked the door. I looked in the mirror. My hair was still a dull brown, my skin pale. I needed to change. I needed to look like I belonged.
I opened my closet and pulled out the bag I had packed the night before. Inside were black and red clothes, a pair of fake fangs, and a bottle of red hair dye. I had bought them in the human world, from a shop that sold costumes and props.
I started to dye my hair. The chemical smell filled the room, sharp and stinging. I watched the color change in the mirror, from brown to a bright, fiery red. It looked fake, but it was the best I could do.
When I was done, I put on the black dress and the red boots. I clipped the fake fangs into my mouth. They felt strange, but they helped me feel like I was wearing a mask.
I sat on the edge of my bed, waiting for the morning. I thought about the pizza. I thought about the cold stone of the cathedral. I thought about Virella's words. One day, you're going to get stuck there.
I hoped she was right. But I knew she wasn't. I had to stay. I had to survive.
The next morning, the wagon arrived. It was a massive, black carriage pulled by six horses. The Nightshade family climbed in, along with Raiden, my other half sibling. Raiden was quiet, but he was kind. He sat next to me, his shoulder touching mine.
"You look good," he whispered. "The red hair suits you."
"Thanks," I said. "I hope it works."
"It will," he said. "You're a Nightshade. You belong here."
I wanted to believe him. But as the wagon rolled toward the Academy, I felt the weight of the secret pressing down on me. I was a human in a world of monsters. And I was about to walk into the lion's den.
The gates of the Academy loomed ahead, towering and imposing. The students were already gathering. I took a deep breath.
"Ready?" Raiden asked.
"No," I said. "But I have to be."
The wagon stopped. The door opened. I stepped out, my fake fangs clicking against my teeth. I walked toward the crowd, my heart racing.
When I raised my head, I was met with a figure.
He was standing in the shadows of the archway, watching me. His eyes were a deep, dead red. He didn't blink. He didn't smile. He just stared.
I froze. He knew. He knew I was human.
He stepped forward, his movements silent and fluid. He stopped only inches from me. He leaned down, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in my chest.
"You smell like pepperoni," he said, his eyes narrowing. "And you are not a vampire."
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. He straightened up, his expression unreadable.
"Welcome to the Academy, little liar," he said. "Try not to get killed on your first day."