By moonlight's shadow

Chapter 5

Long back, which is the time normally referred to as, once upon a time, it was said that the vampires and witches both consorted together well. That was the time when the powers of the sorceresses which ran in the lines of blood and was different from coven to coven was considered to be priceless. But as we all know that not only for the race of humanity, but for the immortal creatures as well nothing remains the same, time does not allow that.

The Bloody Academy was created with a specific intent on mind. To keep the society of the Nosferatu, a secret. And also to rear the children of their clan with so much of care and skills and protectiveness that they could take upon the segments of the world and society, ensuring that the control of humanity always remained in the hands of the superior creatures. During the creation of this Academy, a lot of planning was done and blood was spilled on the stones along with the magic which had been seeped in each and every pore of the Academy. We already know this to be a fact that the Academy changed its location every year to keep its identity a secret which was a part of the magic. But there are a few loopholes which were kept secret by the witches even from the ones who had commissioned them for the purpose.

Let that part remain a secret for now.

The Academy always was placed in the vicinity of a dense woods since it was a part of the magical cover. Witches are naturally the women who have different kinds of powers and they considered that they received their powers from Mother Earth itself, more like the early Pagan worship. So for the same reason the Academy looked like the ruins of a castle from outside and even if anyone ventured in they would see only what they wanted to see in a ruin, nothing else.

Within the remains of the castle is a dampness that does not belong to the air outside. Despite the courtyard being open to the elements the odour and humidity are quite different. The ground covering is sparse and those that grow are the shade-loving flora of broad leaf and juicy stem, interspersed with tufts of grass. The shade is a luxury after the summer heat. Although the vampires are oblivious to the temperature of their surroundings but Snow was not. Another reason to be considered a freak.

As she awaited the starlight and the silvery moon, the shadows of the trees dance upon the cedar fence. They dapple the wood, the leaves flickering like candlelight, creating a new picture from moment to moment. Amid the perfume of the summer blooms, feeling the cool of the evening washes over her. She was waiting for the Headmaster who had promised her a week ago that he would tell her the story of her birth, of why she was so drawn to the white disk that rose every night in the sky and changed its shape. The last vestiges of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon, the copper hues giving way to a dusty purple scattered with the occasional glitter of a faraway star. The distant skyline stood silhouetted against a velvety sky, the golden dusk enveloped by the twilight sky.

An arrow aimed straight to the middle of her neck whisked close while Snow swiftly turned around and caught it before it could do the damage. She did not need to look around to find who the culprit was. There was only one person in the entire academy with such a good precision of shot except her and used ashwood arrows dipped in mercury. It was almost lethal to every supernatural creature.

“It is a beautiful specimen Sonata. But pointing and shooting at me is wastage of your skills,” said Snow slowly as she sat down once more keeping the arrow by her side rather than breaking it off like she had done in always.

“It never hurts to try, right?” came the voice of a French girl with her beautiful accent a breathe later.

“Why try something which you know is not going to be possible in this eternity?” asked Snow, calmly. The Hunt was coming up and the Headmaster had told her that it never hurt to have a few allies on her side. Even after everything it could never hurt her to have someone to have her back.

“I know that you are a freak of Nature, girl. Even I am. Rather if you think of it that way, we all are but your name, gosh….What were your parents thinking of naming you Snow after knowing that their last name was White? A Disney Princess? Really?” asked Sonata as she picked up the arrow from the ground and replaced it back in the quiver strung on her back.

“What can I say!! Really did not choose that before my birth was already registered with the Vampire Council. But I know one thing that there was an odd even the day I was born,” replied back Snow without looking at her.

“Come on…I am dying to know…” said Sonata, as she stood by the tree underneath which Snow was seated.

“No Sonata!! Don’t lie to yourself or to me…this is just another juicy piece of gossip which you will be passing around the school in exchange of something valuable from the Patrick twins like I am something to bet upon. What do you think? That you can stop all your thoughts from reaching my ears?” asked Snow as she stood up from the grass.

Twilight stole the vibrant greens of the lakeside reeds, leaving behind a sombre shade that faded into monochrome. The myriad of browns that were the shoreline stones became the same shade as the faded highway that lay cold and silent behind them. The heat of the day ebbed as the sun sank to the horizon, kissing the sky a warm peach hue.

“I cannot stop the things which are normal or inevitable, girl…Come on, you know that!!! You are the freak, the outcast, you are happy that way while I am the third generation child of a mid-level aristrocrat who is always considered to be lesser than others even after beating them at everything. I need something to fight their vitriolic viciousness. And what can be better than you?” asked Sonata with a wink.

“Alright. I shall make you a deal. You tell me the reason why you were named Sonata and I shall tell you mine. Can you live with that?” asked Snow as she looked at the oddly shaped moon rising on the horizon.

In twilight Sonata's hair was blacker, her skin more olive and her eyes larger. She drew the jacket around her, clasping it tight to her collar bone to ward off the nascent chill. Snow rolled her eyes at the gesture.

“Since you do not feel cold Sonata, I am guessing that you are wearing a bug which will allow you to remit the conversation happening in between us to the evil twins?” asked Snow, with a callous look on her face which shocked Sonata. She had kept this part of her thought very carefully hidden and there was no way that Snow could have understood that unless she knew something from before.

“No sweetheart…you are not right on that count. I did not know from beforehand that you were wearing a bug, but now you have confirmed my suspicions. So this conversation is over. And please relay my curses to the evil twins,” said Snow as she started walking back to the inside of the Academy.

On the other side a different scene was playing altogether.

A group of students were sitting in the common room around a laptop with speakers attached to it. As Snow uttered her last sentence a girl with blue hair screamed out and threw the ball she was holding in her hand directly into the fire, in the fireplace.

“This girl does not die…we cannot kill her…she is not bullied…she ignores us like we are nothing and now she is one step ahead of the game always…how the f**k is that possible Brother?” shouted the beautiful young woman, with pink lips and pink nails.

Another boy, who looked like her male version to the boot was lying on the cushions beside the laptop. He looked at his sister and said,” You have been trying to get something on her since the day she stepped in this place but have been unsuccessful. Don’t you think that it is time you stopped trying?”

“How can you even say that Sebastian? How? Do you not know me at all? I never lose….I always win…That creature does not get away with threatening to stake you as if you are trash from roadside. I will break her…even if that is the last thing I do,” seethed Serena as she turned back from her brother who sighed.

The rest of those present there knew better than to say anything at that moment.

“I have a feeling that you have an impending death wish which is going to be realized very soon,” came a voice from the doorway. Serena turned at it immediately to find Snow standing there with a reckless grin on her face, baring her fangs slightly making her smile look even more beautiful.

“How dare you come here in the Room of Elites and taint us with your presence?” asked Serena, as she moved with a flash and stood an inch away from Snow.

“In case you forget Serena, I come from a family which has got name and wealth and position and not to mention connections, far more than yours. If anyone is truly elite, in the terms that you consider Elite then it is me, not you,” said Snow, the smile lighting up her already beautiful face.

Serena bared her fangs and hissed at her but that did not matter to the auburn haired beauty.

“You are scared of me Serena, just like your father and grandfather is scared of my Grandma. You are an utter coward just like them who knows how to win only by stabbing at the back but that is just a part of the strategy darling. Not the only one,” said Snow, as she looked at Sebastian who had come and was now standing behind her sister.

“Just one drop. Just one drop of your blood and all your secrets will be out like worms spilling out of the gutter,” hissed Serena.

“Keep on dreaming sweetheart. Since that is not happening in this eternity,” said Snow as she turned back on her heels and went back to her room while Sonata stood at the corner, in the darkness hearing the entire conversation.

“You know that you have to make a choice sometime,” said a voice from behind in darkness making Sonata flinch. There was nothing in this Academy which was missed by the Headmaster. He was a scary dude.

“I am trying to maintain a low profile here, in case you don’t mind,” whispered back Sonata as she turned and started walking down the stairs.

Before she could take another step, she was teleported to office of the Headmaster.

“Headmaster King, with all due respect, I know that you look down upon snooping in the campus but it is not something that is in my hands. Information is power in this place,” said Sonata, as she stood before tha antique mahogany table looking at her nails.

“Who told you that I have brought you here to be berated?” asked Rapahel with a smile.