The Love of a Vampire

Chapter 2

Micah and Arci arrived at the academy just in time for the bell. Students from different kingdoms swarmed into the school gate. Every year the student population grows, yet there are still no signs of vampire enrollees.

“Good morning, students. Calling the attention of the senior members of the student government, please proceed to the faculty building, room 32. Headmistress Ashley and Headmaster Thadeaus Petrova are expecting you.”

Sighing, Micah turned to Arci with a look of disappointment on her face. “I guess I’m gonna have to miss the rehearsal.”

“Text me when you’re done.” Arci waved her hand before going to their rehearsal, whilst Micah turned to the opposite direction where the faculty building is located. The teachers have an entire building of their own. The building has a gym, a swimming pool, and other pampering services for the professors of the school. Many wanted to teach in the academy to experience such leisure but the qualifications are high.

The curriculum of the academy was slightly different from humans' because it involved actual combat training, which included mastering all types of weapons if possible; that is for PE class. Learning the history of the six kingdoms of the moon is also part of that, including the history of each mythic race, including humans, but there were fewer lessons about vampires.

Science was where students let their imagination soar. In order to pass the course, they have to create their own invention. They measured the speed of werewolves and vampires, but since there were no vampires enrolled, their speed was never confirmed. The accuracy of elves in using arrows, guns, and whatever it is that says “shooting” was all part of science.

Math and English are the same as those of humans. Lastly, they have a special class where they are trained based on their abilities. Healers like Micah were trained to heal, but healers with outstanding abilities were taught not only to heal but to modify the body. It means they can increase a person’s strength for an amount of time, rapid hair growth, and many more; in simple terms, they were taught to manipulate the body. The only thing they cannot do is turn a p***s into a v****a. That’s not possible. They simply cannot change or put in something that isn’t there, although not all healers can do these things. Those who can are called “A class” and those who can’t are called “B class”.

Micah had reached the faculty building and she sighed at the sight of the person leaning by the entrance. This is the reason why she’d rather go to the graduation rehearsal than be at the student government meeting. Feeling her presence, the man lifted his head and a bright smile appeared on his face as his eyes landed on Micah.

“I was waiting for you, Micah. I figured we could go to the conference room together.” Micah glanced at him with a blank look on her face as she replied with sarcasm, “How thoughtful of you.”

He flashed that toothy grin and started walking with her to the elevator. Micah couldn’t help but roll her eyes as he was clearly not taking the hint. Unluckily for Micah, they were the only ones riding the elevator. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her fingers as the elevator went to the third floor.

“What are your plans after graduation, Micah?” she heard him ask.

“Seriously Vincent, I’m not in the mood to talk about that right now.” Micah replied dismissingly.

Vincent Velasco is the son of one of the kingdom’s prime ministers and he is also part of the “A class” sorcerers wielding the element of fire. Thus, he was voted for a position in the Moon Academy Student Government. Micah hated the SG meeting as it gave Vincent the chance to sit next to her and act like a foolish boyfriend when he’s obviously not.

“Micah….” He sounded pleading. Micah turned her head, eyeing him from head to toe before walking out of the elevator as it *dinged* open.

Micah entered the conference room; behind him was Vincent with that bright smile on his face. He intentionally walked closer to her as if they were going there together.

“The lovebirds are here.” the shewolf commented. Micah narrowed her eyes at her. “Don’t look at me like that healer. You don’t want me to give you something you CAN’T heal.”

Micah smirked. “There’s nothing I cannot heal, Rachel…..”

She then took a step closer to her and whispered, “ …including your troubling hair loss.”

Rachel’s eyes grew wide, making Micah smile innocently. In a split second, she dropped her smile and rolled her eyes at Rachel before taking her seat. “A class” healers can scan the body for any type of disease or injury, that’s why Micah learned about the shewolf’s hair loss problem. When the headmistress and the headmaster arrived, everyone got settled into their seats.

“Good morning, seniors, forgive us for calling you during your rehearsal, but don’t worry, this will be quick. And besides, you don’t have to rehearse, you’re not in kindergarten anymore.” the headmistress said as she took a seat in the middle of the table, and on the other end, her brother, the headmaster of the academy, was seated.

“Okay, let’s get down to business. We called you here to personally invite you to our palace. We will host a farewell ball for this year’s graduates.” The room was filled with gasps, wide-eyed upon hearing the announcement as this had never happened before. Rumors are circulating in the six kingdoms about the High Queen being the daughter of the Moon Goddess and the High King, the son of the God of Death. But seeing that there were no longer rebels and rogues in all six kingdoms shows that each mythic race sees them as a formidable ruler.

“Oh my god!” the shewolf exclaimed.

“You must be wondering why such an unexpected opportunity was given to you. Not everyone had the chance to step into our palace; consider yourselves lucky.” The headmaster added, smirking.

“Indeed. Your batch happens to be the best we had compared to last year. Your batch is filled with talented individuals. This will be our parting gift to you, and you seemed to impress our parents, so they wanted to invite you.” the headmistress snapped her fingers and there entered their secretaries carrying a box filled with red-colored envelopes with the seal of the High King and Queen.

Each senior is given a box to be given to their fellow seniors. “Distribute these to your fellow seniors. We have sorted them according to addresses, so it’s up to you how to distribute them to everyone. Questions? If there’s none, then we shall see you at the palace. Dismissed.”

“I’ll look forward to everyone’s presence at the party.” The headmistress added with a broad grin on her face.

“Keep your expectations high kids, but avoid fainting at the sight of the palace.” The headmaster said with so much pride on his face.

Once the meeting ended, Micah took her box and rushed out of the building to avoid Vincent. She sent a quick message to her friends asking them where they were. It didn’t take long before they replied to her message with:

Arci: The rehearsal’s done; waiting for you by the car.

Benjamin: You missed the teachers’ dance production. =D

Micah went straight to the parking lot where Arci parked her car. “What are those?” Arci asked as Micah hopped into the backseat. Arci is seated in the passenger seat while Benjamin is in the driver’s seat.

Micah flipped the red envelopes and scanned for Micah and Benjamin’s names. “This is for you and this is for you.”

“What is this?” asked Arci as she received the envelope from Micah. Her eyes grew wide upon seeing the royal seal. “WHAT?!!! NO WAY!!!”

Arci opened the envelope and her jaw dropped as she read the invitation. “What? It has my name on it. It says Desiree, right? What?”

Micah shook her head and leaned back on her seat watching her best friends’ reaction. Benjamin was quiet the entire time but his eyes were wide, blinking and reading the invitation again and again.

“We are going to the HIGH PALACE!!!1 WHAT!!!!” Arci squealed. “This calls for a MAJOR SHOPPING.”

“Damn it. I don’t have anything to wear. Dang!” Benjamin spoke.

“Yeah, yeah. We can do the shopping later, right now. I have invitations to deliver and you’re going to help me.”

~~~~~~~

It was graduation day. The ceremony was honored by the presence of the kings and queens of the Six Kingdoms of the Moon, including the ruler of all rulers; the High King and the High Queen except for the Kingdom of Dracula.

Graduating as the top student, Micah is giving her speech. “The first time we passed through the portal and walked through the gates of the academy, we did not know who and what we truly were. We are not just students; we are a representative of our beloved kingdom.”

“Today marks the beginning of our lives as mythic. From this day on, we will decide our own destiny.” the students applauded and cheered as Micah finished her speech. She smiled in satisfaction and bowed her head before walking off the stage.

The graduation went smoothly. All the graduates have gathered and instead of throwing their hats into the air, the sorcerers created a firework with the use of their element magic.

When the graduation ceremony ended, each family was taking pictures except for Micah’s family. She initially thought that none of her family would come, but it seemed like the presence of the High King and Queen made them “unbusy”.

Micah’s grandfather was talking to the High King and High Queen and, on the other hand, his parents and her brother were talking to the king and queen of the Elvin Kingdom.

“Oh come on, what’s with the long face?” turning around, Micah smiled as she faced Arci.

Arci pulled Micah closer, placing her arms over her shoulder. “Today calls for a celebration, but before that, you owe me a shopping day today.”

Micah’s friends helped her deliver the invitations yesterday in exchange for a shopping day after graduation in preparation for the ball.

“Congratulations, girls.” Says Arci’s Mom before snapping a photo of them. “Hey, don’t tell me you forgot about me?” Benjamin joined in, standing between Arci and Micah, with his arms around their necks pulling them closer. Arci’s Mom snapped another photo and, at that moment, Micah was genuinely happy.

Micah.

Micah’s smile dropped when she heard a soft voice. Frowning, she turned her head around but her eyes caught nothing.

Follow my voice, Micah.

Micah’s frown got deeper. It was a woman’s voice. She looked around the field but saw no one until her eyes landed on the queen of the kingdom of magic with her soulmate, the king. They looked at her expectantly and smiled, giving her a slight nod in recognition.

Micah knew that the voice did not belong to the queen, but something told her that the Queen of the kingdom of magic knew something. She turned to Arci’s mother and said, “If you’ll excuse me, Aunt Adelle, I’ll say hello to King Damien and Queen Amara. I’ll catch you guys later. Arci, Benjamin.”

Arci and Benjamin waved their hands to her as she walked away. As Micah stood before the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Magic, she bowed her head in respect. “Your majesty.”

“Congratulations, Micah. I believe you’ve read my letter?” Micah smiled and nodded her head as she replied, “I have, my Queen, and let me express my deepest gratitude for such an honor.”

“Shall I be expecting you tomorrow to discuss your position then?” Queen Amara stared at her with an eyebrow raised.

Micah smiled. “Of course, my Queen. I wouldn’t miss it. Also, there is something I would like to ask you.”

Queen Amara smiled as she figured out what it was. “Your questions will be answered tomorrow, Micah, as it includes your position and your future.” Queen Amara replied.

On a closer look, Micah saw the mark of the phoenix on the crook of the queen’s neck, and on the king was a butterfly that came from Queen Amara. Couples can mark their soulmates. It is a symbol of love and devotion to the person which the Moon Goddess has blessed upon you.

The marking process is different for each race. Werewolves and Lycans mark their mates through biting, Elves mark their mates through mating under the light of the moon, witches or warlocks have a marking ritual (literally) and as for vampires, rumor has it that they are to share each other’s blood to create a bond for eternity.

“Queen Amara. King Damien.” Micah’s father bowed his head as he approached.

“I would like to thank you for the honorable position you have offered my daughter. It has been the greatest honor of our family.” Micah’s father said, his voice filled with pride.

Micah pressed a thin smile silently hoping that it didn’t look fake. The king was smirking with amusement as he watched the man and his daughter. He can tell that they are trying to put a reign on their daughter. The king found it entertaining that the reign they thought would hold Micah back would break loose at any moment.

“We were honored to have her.” Queen Amara simply replied.

Micah cleared her throat to get the King and Queen’s attention once again. “Queen Amara, King Damien, if you’ll excuse me, I have to pay my respects to the High King and High Queen.” Micah bowed her head and walked away.

She used it as an excuse, as she didn’t want to hear her father’s arrogance about how he is so good at his job and how he is so good at raising a “perfect” daughter. As Micah was about to leave, someone grabbed her arm and called her name. “Micah?!!!”

“Arci, what are you doing?” Micah asked and it made Arci frown because Micah’s reaction made it look like she had said or done something strange.

“Saving you from your family obviously. Let’s go. We’re going to the nearest mall and picking up our dresses for the party.” Arci replied, but she frowned when she saw the hesitation in Micah’s eyes. Before Micah could protest, Arci beats her to it by saying, “You’re coming with me whether you like it or not, and don’t tell me you’re not going to buy a new dress because you already have one. I know you don’t missy and I am not allowing you to miss this opportunity to explore the wonders of the palace with your bestie.”

Clearly, there was no room for argument when Arci made up her mind. Micah wasn’t able to do anything but let her best friend drag her to the car where Benjamin was waiting in the driver’s seat. “Hello, ladies. Where should I take you today?”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Micah smiled as she realized that she could no longer escape Arci. Benjamin drove past through the portal and to the nearest mall near the Kingdom of Magic. It has been fifty years since the new queen of the Kingdom of Magic opened the kingdom to everyone. Businesses like restaurants and malls were built near the borders of the kingdom. Of course, there are humans in the area but the sorcerers and healers kept their identities hidden. The kingdom is protected by a barrier that keeps humans out. This way, humans cannot discover that they are living among sorcerers and nonhuman creatures all this time.

“We’ll text you when we’re done. Are you sure you don’t want to buy a new suit for the party? We’re talking about THE palace at THE High Family.” Arci asked him again, but Benjamin shook his head, showing no sign of persuasion.

“You girls have fun. I’ll come to pick you up later.” Benjamin waved them goodbye, but not without throwing a longing glance at Arci. Micah blinked her eyes and pretended not to notice anything. When Benjamin left, Micah placed her hands on her waist and came face to face with her best friend as she turned around. “You and Benjamin, huh? And you’re not planning to tell me?”

Arci bit her lip guiltily. “I will tell you once we’re done with shopping. Jeez, I hate it when you do that.”

“Whatever. I’m happy for both of you. Come on, let’s get this over with.” From the very beginning, Micah saw a connection between Arci and Benjamin. She always thought that the two might be soulmates.

Micah’s been sighing the entire time as they move from one store to another, yet they still haven’t found the perfect dress for the ball. After three more stores, Micah decided to sit down and let Arci look for a dress.

“How about this one? It brings out the color of your eyes.” Arci held a long green dress with holes that would reveal all the right curves of Micah’s body.

Micah blinked her eyes and stared at it with a disgusted look on her face. Arci’s big smile dropped, turning into a poker face. Before Arci could give her a piece of her mind, Micah pointed out, “That’s too revealing. It’s no different than wearing underwear. Do you want me to flaunt my breast in front of the entire High Kingdom surrounded by horny lycans?”

Arci shrugged her shoulders, placing the dress back on its rack, and said, “I heard that s*x with a lycan is to DIE for; literally.”

Shaking her head, Micah rolled her eyes. Sighing, she decided to stand in her seat and look for her own dress for the ball. As she scanned the racks of clothes in front of her, she blinked her eyes when she came across a long blue dress with a long slit.

“That’s it. That’s the dress. That’s YOUR dress. It’s screaming your name.” Arci commented as she stood next to the dress eyeing it meticulously. “Oh, and I found mine.”

Arci held a cream-colored long dress that hugged her curves with a long neckline. “Benjamin’s gonna stick with you ALL night if you wear that.” Micah commented.

Arci smiled wickedly, shrugging her shoulders as she replied, “HE better be or I might let myself get snatched by a gorgeous lycan.”

Shaking her head, Micah chuckled. They went to the cashier to pay for the dress. Walking out of the store, Arci said, “Let’s grab something to drink before we go.”

Micah and Arci entered a café. “Order for me. I’ll find us a spot.” Arci nodded her head and fell in line to order. Micah saw an empty space by the glass window and waited for Arci.

“I ordered your usual strawberry Frappuccino and a cheesecake.” Arci said the moment she reached their table. Micah nodded her head and smiled. “I’ll go to the restroom really quick. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” On the way to the restroom, Micah bumped into what she thought was a wall.

“Watch where you’re going.”

“Watch it.” they said almost in unison, making Micah frown. The aura she felt from that man wasn’t that of a human, it was something else. Micah raised her left brow when she saw him staring at her with a furrowed forehead.

Micah rolled her eyes and walked past him. It didn’t seem like the man wanted to apologize, but neither did she. She’s a lady. As she walked out of the cubicle, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her thoughts suddenly went to that rude man she had just encountered. She had never felt that aura before and she had already encountered every mythic of the kingdom of the moon except----

And that was when the realization hit her. “That was a vampire.” Micah whispered to herself. She walked out of the lady’s room in a hurry, hoping to see the man again, but he was already gone. All she saw of him was his eyes; grey eyes, making her wonder why? Aren’t vampires supposed to have red-colored eyes?

Micah ran her hand through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut. Sighing, she decided to return to their table and on her way, she recalled the strange dreams she'd been having recently. In her dreams, she was drowning in the water, or to be more precise, she was one with it.

“What the hell?” Micah thought.

Arci was on her phone when she saw Micah approaching. Their food is already on the table. Sighing in relief, she placed her phone down and crossed her arms over her chest as Micah arrived at their table. “Finally. I thought you flushed yourself down the toilet.”

Shaking her head, Micah rolled her eyes at her. “So, you and Benjamin are soulmates?” Micah said, trying to distract herself from her thoughts.

Upon the mention of Benjamin’s name, Arci blushed. Micah raised her eyebrows as she stared at her friend expectantly, waiting for Arci to tell her the juicy details.

“It was after your birthday. It was a full moon and we were walking home when our hands touched. Goddess. It was magical. Before, I always thought……….” Arci started telling Micah her thoughts about Benjamin before she found out they were soulmates until the night when they touched each other’s hand under the light of the full moon and found out they were for each other.

Arci sighed dreamily, making Micah smile. “I’m happy for both of you. Have you told your parents about it?”

Arci shook her head. “No, not yet. I was planning to tell them tonight but I want to do it with him beside me. Benjamin is having a celebration with his family and I can’t steal him from that. Besides, we will be having a celebration of our own.”

“Speaking of celebrations, would you like to come? I’m sure mom will be thrilled and you said your parents are busy today.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Micah replied, but then she felt her phone vibrating.

Digging her phone from her pocket, she raised an eyebrow when she saw her father’s name on the screen.

Dad: Be home at six and be ready at seven. We’re going out for dinner. Cancel your plans, whatever they are.

Sighing, Micah showed Arci her phone letting her read the text. “Oh, duty calls.” Arci commented with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Micah shrugged her shoulders, looking rather unhappy.

Arci sighed. She knew that look on Micah’s face. That’s the look Micah would always wear when her family gets bossy of her or when she’s playing robot for her family. Arci reached for Micah’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and said, “Once you meet your soulmate, you’ll be free, Micah. Well, not just that, because if your soulmate turns out to be a complete d*ck, I know you would never let yourself go to hell with him.”

Micah smiled.

Arci is her closest friend since they were toddlers. They saw each other’s growth and more than anyone in the world, Arci knows how much Micah is waiting for her soulmate; her only escape from the book that her family wrote for her.

Micah placed her hand on top of Arci’s and said, “Thank you, b*tch.”

“Always at your service.” Arci replied and they giggled. “I know you have a soulmate out there, Micah. You will definitely meet him.”

“I know. I don’t care if he is an elf, a werewolf, a lycan, a warlock, a frog, an insect, I don’t care; because I will accept him for who and what he is.”