Page 58 of House of Lilith

“Your time has run out,” I hear Uncle declare and I turn to watch him as he gets out of his chair for an inspection.

Even as he approaches the first row of desks, the students around me all scramble to get another ingredient in.

“Mr Fritz,” he calls in a warning voice, making said guy freeze with his hand still in the air, hovering above the cauldron.

Uncle comes to stand next to his desk and Fritz lowers his hand, desolation clearly written on his face even before the judge and jury takes a dropper out of his pocket, uses it to draw some of the potion out of the cauldron and then into the little vial perched on an elegant wooden stand.

The muddied, foul-smelling blood inside turns even darker, black almost.

Uncle clicks his tongue and says, “I know these are more complex diseases than the ones we’ve practiced with last year, Mr Fritz, but these results are shameful.”

He glances around the room, raising his voice to warn everyone present, “If I had to chooseonething for you to perfect, of everything there is to learn within Blood Magic, it would be bloodpurification.” He pauses for effect. “For a vampire, this is a matter of life or death. Have I made myself clear?”

There are soft yeses sounding from all around me. Seeming satisfied, Uncle nods and keeps going.

But as I watch him, it’s not blood purification I’m thinking of. Once again, my mind is threatening to drag me down the hole of thinking about the murder, the events of the First Game and Uncle’s involvement in all of it.

What if, right after class, I went to the Library real quick? I don’t really know what I’m looking for, but I’m bound to findsomething.

But it’s just at that moment that Uncle finishes inspecting the desk right behind me.

I glance inside my cauldron, checking if the potion is still the perfect color and texture. It is.

But when I hear Uncle’s footsteps again and I look up to meet his eyes, I see him walk straight past me without so much as a glance.

Thisagain, I think as I burn holes in his back.

I grit my teeth, I take my own dropper out of the tool set and I test the potion myself.

The muddied, foul-smelling blood before me turns perfect, healthy looking, appetizing red.

But it gives me no joy. I guess I can understand Uncle, but it still pains me to be shunned by family like this — him, Mother, even Nikolay... After what happened the night of that party, Uncle didn’t even get a slap on the wrist, the green journal disappeared into thin air again, and now there’s this schizophrenic guy the professor used to work with claiming he was the one who murdered him.

And Iknew, as soon as it happened, that Mother would be pulling strings to make it all go away. But what it’s all even about… That I donotknow.

Instantly, my mind starts buzzing in search of potential answers. Somehow, I don’t think Uncle would kill someone himself. But helping someone in a crime like that… I look up to squint at him, but as soon as I do, I realize I’m doing it all over again.

For the millionth time, I decide Iwon’tgive in to temptation and keep researching what Mother specifically asked not to get into,ever again. I let out a sigh and I turn to look out the window.

The only thing worth living for right now is tomorrow’s Game. The second one. And everyone has their own opinions, but a Game followed by the Winter Solstice Ball? That’s got to be the best one.

No, Nyx, I tell myself, you’ve got hours and hours to go before it starts. And in the meantime, you’ve got shit to do. I make myself remember the long months at the Summer Palace, when I’d get so caught up in my daydreaming that I’d miss the dress gong, the tutoring sessions, the afternoon tea…

And then I’d get the whip, my governess making sure it never happened again.

No one tells you that at some point in life, you have tobecomethe whip. Otherwise, you end up playing videogames all day long, like brother darling. And I can’t do that.Hemight think it enough, to spend his entire life lording over nothing, but I plan to put it to good use, my future role as Princess.

And sometimes, that means handling tedious wedding preparations.

So as soon as Uncle finishes the inspection and the bell sounds, I spring from my chair and I rush out of the classroom.

It makes me stop midstep, when Max crosses my mind.

“Finished with Uncle’s class, going to my room,” I type to him.

“Thanks for the update, cupcake,” he replies.

I keep walking down the hallway, elbowing my way through the crowd pouring out of the classrooms to my left and right.

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