Secrets of Blackthorn

A sharp, splintering pain banged through Julianne’s head.

She groaned before her eyes even opened, her head feeling like it had been cracked open and stitched back together. Her throat was dry and she swallowed hard.

She blinked slowly and her vision blurred at first. She could see stone walls and a tall, arched window where slices of moonlight came in.

Then she saw three figures in the room. All of a sudden, the last few events came crashing in on her and her heart jumped immediately.

Headmistress Eldryn sat in a carved wooden chair, her posture stiff, hands folded over her lap like a queen on a cold throne. Beside her, Velvet stood with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on Julianne. She seem to be annoyed.

And then there was the strange boy. The one she’d seen at the restroom.

He stood in the far corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. His skin was pale, almost too pale.

"You’re awake," Eldryn said, her voice smooth as porcelain.

Julianne tried to sit up. Her wrists weren’t bound anymore, but her limbs felt weak.

“Where am I?” she croaked.

"Just an old abandoned building we are considering to renovate," Eldryn answered.

Julianne stared at the woman. Was this really Headmistress Eldryn? She thought.

Every time she asked Velvet when she would meet with the headmistress so they would discuss about her fees, it was always one excuse or another. Almost like she doesn't want her to meet with her. But maybe she was right in doing that. Maybe she was only trying to protect her.

Eldryn rose from her seat and crossed the room slowly, her heels clicking softly on the stone. She stopped beside the bed, looking down at Julianne with a strange expression. Not with concern. Not with pity.

“What do you remember?” she asked.

Julianne hesitated. Was this a trick question?

“I had a nightmare.”

Eldryn tilted her head slightly, as if that answer didn’t quite satisfy her. Then she raised her hand.

“Look into my eyes.”

Julianne tried not to, but her gaze was pulled to hers, helpless as the tide. Eldryn’s irises shimmered like dark glass, and her voice sank lower, softer.

“Julianne… what are you?”

Julianne felt drawn into something she doesn't know. It was almost like someone was in her memory space.

“What?”

“What are you?” Eldryn repeated.

Julianne blinked rapidly. Her body felt slow, distant, like her limbs didn’t quite belong to her anymore. Her mouth opened.

“I—I’m no one.”

“What blood runs in your veins?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Who sent you here?”

“No one,” she said. “I came because… I thought my father…”

Eldryn frowned. A small twitch of disappointment.

“She’s resisting,” the boy said from across the room. His voice was quiet, but it made Julianne’s skin crawl.

“Even without trying. That’s not normal.”

Julianne’s eyes darted to him. “Who are you?”

He stepped forward, the candlelight catching on his eyes. “Cassian.”

His name felt cold in her mouth.

“He’s a vampire,” Eldryn said casually, as if naming the boy’s specie was as normal as listing his GPA. “And he’s very good at what he does. Cassian, if you would.”

Julianne flinched. “Wait—what are you—?”

But before she could finish, Cassian’s gaze locked with hers. His pupils widened, consuming the red in his irises like smoke swallowing a flame. His voice slid into her thoughts.

“Forget what you saw.”

A pressure filled her skull, not pain exactly, but more like a pulling sensation, a ripple moving through her mind.

“Forget the wolves. Forget the trees. Forget their names. You remember nothing.”

"I remember nothing," she said unconsciously.

"Try it again," Eldryn said from where she sat, almost too curious.

Cassian asked, "Julianne, what do you remember?"

"I remember nothing," she said, almost like she was being controlled.

"It worked," Cassian said and stepped back. "Better not call me for things like this anymore. If you can't handle one person, it's better to just get rid of them."

Julianne’s vision blurred and darkness rushed in again.

*

Julianne woke up with a start.

Sunlight poured through the dorm window, soft and golden. Birds chirped somewhere outside.

She sat straight up, breathing so fast. It was almost like she was panting.

She had just had a dream, or so it felt like. It was fragmented, almost senseless, but something didn’t sit right.

Her wrists, she thought and looked down. A faint red mark wrapped around one of them, where the leather had cut into her skin. She reached up and touched her temple where she felt a stinging pain.

Another bruise.

Her eyes widened at the realization. It wasn’t a dream. She had seen them. The wolves. Eldryn. The silver haired boy in her class.

And Velvet.

The door opened all of a sudden and Julianne darted her eyes towards it, only to see Velvet. She stood up immediately and was furious at the sight of her, even more furious when she saw the look of concern etched in her forehead as she moved closer to her. But then, she suddenly remembered the room with stone walls. Then Cassian. The unexplainable things that happened in that room, almost like she was being compelled to forget something.

Then she realized and quickly softened her expression.

"Julianne." She greeted casually, like she always does. "You look better. Must’ve been a rough night.”

Julianne could barely speak. She wondered what she was talking about at the moment. Was she trying to confirm if she already forgot everything she witnessed? Was that why she was here early? If she finds out she still remembers, would they get rid of her like Cassian said?

"What happened?" She asked instead. "How did I get to my room yesterday? I don't remember anything about yesterday. It's strange," she lied.

“You collapsed. I took you to the infirmary and brought you to the dorm," Velvet said.

Liar.

Julianne grit her teeth together and couldn't believe the one she thought she could trust was lying to her face.

"Why can't I remember then?"

"Maybe it's best not to remember. It was scary. If I hadn't come to check on you, who knows what could have happened?"

Julianne pretended to go with the flow. She nodded and said to her, "Thank you for helping me. I think my body hasn't adjusted to the new environment yet."

"I was just like you in my first year also. I got sick most of the time and I had nobody to take care of me. But you have me. How lucky can you be!"

If it's not guilt, Julianne wondered what could suddenly make Velvet so chatty. It was unlike her to speak a lot.

The day went by really fast. Everything felt surreal. She watched the other students, laughing, chatting, like there were no creatures among them waiting to hunt them in the dark. None of them seemed to know. Or maybe they did and just didn’t care.

Except Ryker Wolfe, the silver haired boy in her class.

When she walked in and saw him, she felt her stomach turn and almost threw up. But instead, she stood there, as if frozen.

The memory crashed in again; the wolves, the transformation, the leather strap pulled tight around her wrists. The pain. The fear. The blur of voices.

She swallowed, but said nothing. He was still staring at her, like always. Even when she took her seat, she could feel his eyes on her.

Every time she looked up, his eyes were already on her. Not with hostility. But not with friendliness either.

Just… watching.