Page 4 of Blood

I barely even register the nickname he gave me. All I can focus on is that one word.

Army.

I need an army if I’m going to defeat Zeus, avenge Mason, and save my other mates. The monster council may be our first stop...but it’s not our last.

The smile curling up my lips is probably as bloodthirsty as his. Not that I’m surprised. I am a vampire-who-isn’t-truly-a-vampire, after all. Blood is in my non-DNA.

“How much longer until we reach Chicago?” I ask wickedly.

Because...oh, yeah...fun fact. One of the monster council’s bases of operations is in good old Chicago, USA.

You’ll probably think twice before you walk those streets again, huh?

CHAPTER 2

VIOLET

It’s not long before the forests and hills transition into industrial jungle gyms with metal walls, concaving roofs, and graffiti-covered sidewalks. In the far distance, skyscrapers dot the horizon, appearing almost like glimmering pinpricks in the sun.

I clear my throat to garner Alex’s attention and lean forward so our words won’t be overheard—not that I imagine anyone is paying us any attention.

“Tell me what I need to know,” I tell him firmly. Now that I’ve committed to the whole “get an army and not die” thing, I know I need to be prepared. Anti-vampire rhetoric has been getting worse over the months, led by none other than good old Zeus himself.

Fuck him.

Seriously...fuck him.

Alex scratches absently at his chin as he studies me. Even when I hated him, his eyes always fascinated me. Those large, obsidian orbs are superimposed over chips of red. I half wonder if his eye color is unique to necromancers or if it’s something distinctly Alex.

“Well, you probably already know that the monster council has strongholds all over the world. Romania, California, Israel, Canada—”

“Canada?” I interrupt, blinking waspishly.

Canadians have always seemed so...nice. The exact opposite of monstrous.

Alex waves a hand in the air dismissively. “They’re usually disguised as hockey fans.”

“Ah.” I nod seriously. Canadians definitely take their hockey seriously.

“Anyway...” He gives me a pointed look, as if asking whether I mean to interrupt a second time. In answer to his unspoken question, I pantomime zipping my lips shut and throwing away the key. “What a lot of people don’t know is that the council is able to travel from one location to the next through the use of portals. Actually, Prodigium is built on one of the largest magical portals in the world—hence the name Prodigium. In Latin, it translates roughly to portal.”

So, Prodigium Academy is built on a portal? Did I know that? I feel as if it’s something I’ve been taught or told, but then again...I’ve learned to zone out a lot of the teachings at that school.

I focus on Alex once more and nod for him to continue.

“The council moves constantly, so as to not be found by monster hunters and other humans,” he explains.

A throbbing pain explodes in my chest.

Monster hunters...

Vin.

Vin is an esteemed Van Helsing—you know, from the Van Helsing line. And while the Van Helsings may hunt vampires, they seem to be relatively friendly with the other monsters roaming this earth, which explains their continuous admittance to Prodigium Academy.

If you really think about it, the entire system is complete horseshit. Vampires aren’t nearly as scary as some of the other creatures that go bump in the night. Sure, we drink blood...and have enhanced senses...and can live forever...and are faster and stronger than most monsters and humans...and can tear people apart with our bare teeth...

Where am I going with this?

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