Page 150 of A University of Betrayal

“What?!” I jumped back and crashed into the closet wall, which collapsed further. At least from the inside, because the loud cracking sound followed by a crash was impossible to ignore.

Bastien skillfully ignored it.

“You survived the bite.”

“Because I’m a Quatura. They said I was strong, and...”

I tried, but it was pointless. Bastien knew I wasn’t a Quatura. Which didn’t mean I was a Ruisangor.Did it?No, never... I was a Senseque. Alarik had said so. I had seen it.

Bastien came closer, and I had no room to dodge backward.

“You’re not a Quatura. No matter what they say. They’re lying to you, or they don’t know.” He sounded thoughtful. “Tell me, do you feel that hunger? A sweet smell that follows you everywhere when you’re around people?”

I widened my eyes.

How did he know about that?

“Do you smell it now?” I heard the crack of a cap being twisted open. Then I smelled the scent and began to suck in the air until I couldn’t stand it any longer. “You smell it, and you feel desire, don’t you?” I looked up at Bastien. His eyes were glowing red. “And that’s because you’re hungry.”

Hungry? I’ve beenveryhungry lately. So hungry that I had even eaten Emely’s cooked meat when I hadn’t been able to find anything better in the fridge.

“Bayla. You are one of us. You’re a Ruisangor.”

I shook my head violently.“No.You’re wrong.”

And suddenly, a small plastic bag filled with dark liquid dangled in front of my nose. That was the point at which I completely lost it, snatched the bag out of Bastien’s hand and brought it to my mouth.

I sucked on the opening and felt the sweet syrup flow down my throat. It was somehow satisfying and intoxicating at the same time, like he was drugging me. The thought was intense, but my craving was greater until I realized the bag was empty, and I stared down at the plastic.

Two letters devastated me. Destroyed my mental stability within a second.

AB.

“Do you believe menow?”

Bewilderment rose up inside me.I had just drunk blood.

I suddenly felt sick, nauseous. My body began to tremble, and then I looked back at Bastien, who finally took the bag from my hand.

“I must be dreaming. None of this makes any sense.” I fumbled for the cupboard behind me and moved further away from Bastien, toward the door. “This is all a dream.Of course…”I laughed nervously. “Because my head is trying to explain the chaos in this town. My mother’s cult, the professor, and then Larissa… I’m going crazy!”

Before I had even reached the door, Bastien blocked my escape route. He wouldn’t let me go until he had what he wanted. He looked like a man who knew what he wanted. And like a Ruisangor with whom it was better not to play games.

“You’re not dreaming. Everything you experience in this town is real.”

Plot twist.

I stared at Bastien. It was all I could do. I tried to process the fact that I had just drunk blood. Then I went into shock. The nausea in my stomach was enormous by now.

“I almost bit my mother…”

My fingers slid to my mouth and I felt for my teeth. Sharp canines grazed my finger and I realized I was cutting myself. I looked at my finger, from which a pearl of blood dripped onto the carpet beneath me.

“That’s why you should come with me.”

“What? No...No,I can’t...” I stared at Bastien, bewildered. “Where to, anyway?”

“To our estate. To Larissa and the others. You belong at the Receptum. I can find out what’s wrong with you there.”

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