Chapter 2
The head of the infirmary was an elderly cleric named Dalin. Dalin had a beer gut, a long white ponytail, and a white robe covered in food stains. His appearance gave the impression he was a retired hippy, except for his gaze. It had a soft white glow, showing he was favoured by heaven, and anyone favoured by heaven usually had more important things to worry about than their appearance.
He fussed over my daughter with gentle care as she mindlessly tried to bite him, and I held her down.
Crossing the academy grounds had been too much for her. Despite it being the middle of the night, there were plenty of students in the open spaces taking advantage of the higher levels of ambient mana that existed here at the edge of the dungeon. They were studying or practicing magic and their scents quickly drove my daughter insane with bloodlust.
The relief I’d felt upon seeing her return to the land of the living had quickly faded. I wasn’t concerned about my daughter being a vampire, that was a simple fix, but I was concerned about the damage her soul had taken when I fed on her. I didn’t know what the ramifications would be once she became human again.
Murdell didn’t have many natural streams and rivers I couldn’t cross, but the Bo Empire to the east had many. Getting through the Bo Empire to Arcadia, the kingdom where my resting place resided, would be impossible to do alone. I was trapped here until help arrived.
On my way here, I’d seen an aged flier on a message board with a job opening for an occult studies professor. It made for a convincing cover story for why I was here and a good reason to stick around if I had to. I knew more than enough to teach the subject.
“She’s lucky you found her,” Dalin said, quickly pulling his hand away so he didn’t lose a finger. “Most don’t know you need to leave a person where you find them for them to come back. And not many sorcerers have the strength to contain a new vampire.”
Darksmith infirmary was state-of-the-art, filled with magical equipment to ensure that their wealthy clients received only the best care. Dalin wasn’t using any of that equipment. He was an expert in his craft and didn’t need a crutch.
I stifled a fake yawn. “I came to Darksmith to apply for the occult studies professorship. Leaving one of my future students in distress wasn’t something I could do.”
Dalin raised an eyebrow. “As far as good first impressions go, this is certainly one of the best I’ve seen.”
Kathrine tried to lunge again. I felt one of her bones fracture as I held her down. She didn’t even notice, blinded by bloodlust.
“Can you lift the curse?”
He waved away my concern. “I wouldn’t be the head of the infirmary if I couldn’t.”
He continued his examination, which wasn’t part of the standard procedure for removing the curse. If he didn’t have the glow of a righteous soul, I would have suspected he was being inappropriate.
“What are you looking for?”
He continued to prod her stomach and hips. “Vampires are extremely sturdy. They can survive having a knife embedded in their gut, while a human cannot. I don’t want to complicate matters by lifting the curse and then discovering she has a nail in her lung. It will be easier on her if I remove it now.”
I hadn’t even considered that. “You’ve seen this happen?”
“No. I heard about it second hand, which is why I’m checking.”
The infirmary had enough beds to house several hundred people. It needed that many beds to deal with threats that could arise from the dungeon. At the moment, the beds were empty, and there were only a handful of clerics on duty. Dalin hadn’t been one of them. Riza had warned the staff that Kathrine was coming, and they had woken him.
“She seems fine,” he said, collecting a pair of small metal bowls and a knife from the side table. “I’m going to slit her wrists. Black ooze will trickle from the wounds shortly after I cast a spell. This ooze is toxic, and you don’t want to get any on you, so hold her tight. When the black ooze is replaced by blood, she will die for a few moments, which is meant to happen. After, I’ll heal her and restart her heart.”
He made two quick cuts that didn’t bleed and placed the bowls under her wrists. Then he cut his palm and sprinkled his blood at the bottom of the bowls.
My mouth began to salivate as Kathrine thrashed harder, trying to reach the blood.
When I’d first awoken, I was little better than Kathrine’s current state. It was only through prolonged suffering that I’d been able to get used to the urges and regain control. She wasn’t weaker than me for being like this. She just hadn’t had time to adapt.
However, the aroma of Dilan’s blood was so much more inviting than in the past. I wasn’t hungry, but the smell made me want to eat. I felt like I was missing out on a wonderful experience.
Dalin healed his hand with a spell before placing it on Kathrine’s forehead. The spell he was going to cast on her wasn’t actually a curse-breaking spell, but a cleansing spell that removed infection and disease. The spell forcefully separated the demonic parasites from her blood and healed the damage this caused.
His palm glowed white as he cleansed her.
Freed from her blood and unable to re-enter, the vampiric parasites followed their instincts and searched for food. The only food they could find was Dalin’s blood sitting in the metal bowls. Black ooze began to trickle down Kathrine’s wrists as the parasites went for the easy meal.
A few minutes later, blood followed, and Kathrine died again. Watching her lying there lifeless hurt me just as much as the first time. It made me dwell on how monstrous I’d become. It forced me to remember that my daughter was suffering because of something I had done.
Dalin allowed her to bleed for a few more seconds and then cast a simple healing spell, closing the wounds on her wrists. He then cast another spell that restarted her heart and forced her to inhale. Finally, he cast another holy spell on the vampiric parasites in the bowls. Without Kathrine’s soul to protect them, they burned.
Dalin smiled as he took away the ash-filled bowls. “Thanks to you, she’s back to her old self. Lay her down on the bed, and we’ll go see the headmaster.”
“Why do we need to see the headmaster?” I asked, grabbing a folded blanket and tossing it across her to keep her warm.
“You made a good impression. So, I’m going to vouch for you. Passing the tests will be something you have to do on your own, but I’ll get you through the door.”
I made sure I smiled. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you. This institute is under incredible scrutiny, and the loss of any student outside of defending the dungeon can start a war.” He waved over one of the other clerics to clean up the equipment and then walked towards the door.
***
Headmaster Wink’s office reminded me of Dumbledore’s office if Dumbledore had been a functioning alcoholic. There was all the magical paraphernalia you’d expect to see in a magical academy’s headmaster's office, along with a larger-than-necessary bar. Behind the headmaster’s desk was a door that led to a staircase that went to his study and living quarters. Dalin had gone up, leaving me alone in the office while he explained the situation. Then they had come back down, and Dalin had patted me on the shoulder before heading out.
Headmaster Wink was a bald elderly man with a long sloping moustache. “I’m headmaster Wink,” he said, as he placed a glass of gin and three files on the table. “I’m told you wished to apply for our occult studies teaching position. Do you have any references?”
“Not on me, I’m afraid. My references are with my things at the inn.”
He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes before taking a seat. “Of course they are. It’s fine. We’ll do this without references.” He picked up his glass of gin and took a drink to calm himself. I could smell the stress coming from him as he pointed to one of the files. “This here is one of two written tests. If you pass this one, you can take the second. These tests are used to weed out the uneducated. You need a perfect score to pass this one. You can begin when you’re ready.”
I took the pen and test he offered, flipping it open. Wink sat drinking in silence as I worked my way through the test. It wasn’t difficult, but it was extremely thorough, covering more aspects of occult studies than I’d expect for a simple test. But then again, this was Darksmith, and it catered to the heirs of the elite.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I handed the test back five minutes later.
He opened one of the other files, pulled out an answer key, and harrumphed, scowling at the page. “Bother. I gave you the wrong test. Might as well mark this one since you filled it in.”
He quickly checked my work and started to frown before the end of the first page. The frown grew bigger the further he marked.
He looked up and scowled at me. “A perfect score.”
His reaction confused me. “Why do you sound upset?”
“I was hoping you’d fail.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“No. I just don’t like to employ handsome or pretty teachers. They bring all sorts of problems.”
“I promise not to bring any problems?”
He took another sip. “That’s what they always say. It’s always proved false. However, you’re overly qualified for the position, and we need the position filled, so today is your lucky day.”
“How overly qualified.”
“Our teaching tests are designed to make academics weep. Correctly answering one in five questions is considered a passing grade. Only three of our teachers have aced their tests like you just did.”
“Would you like me to get my references?”
He shook his head. “I’m sure they're prestigious, judging by your test scores, but you don’t need them.” He took another sip of gin. What branches of magic do you practice?”
“Only death and necrotic.”
His upper lip began to turn with disgust before he controlled himself. “That’s a pity. Can’t practice necromancy myself. Otherwise, I’d do your magical aptitude test immediately. Come back in ten days to sit the test. If you pass, the position is yours. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s late, and I need to get some sleep before these buffoons claiming to be students wake up and begin coming up with new ways to make my hair fall out.”
I chuckled.
He took another drink. “That wasn’t a joke. I used to have a beard.”
***
I stood outside Kathrine’s dorm room door, listening to her sob into her pillow. Without the emotionless haze of vampirism, the horrors of my actions were all too real. I’d attacked her. I’d caused her pain. I’d made her best friend kill her. I’d behaved like an utter monster, and I wasn’t sure if I could make this right.
I let myself into her dorm and noticed the changes to her scent. I’d witnessed enough traumatized individuals in this world to recognise the scent of PTSD, uncontrolled panic, and depression. Kathrine had all three. She was a turbulent ball of negative emotion.
The damage to her soul was worse than I’d imagined.
I gently knocked on her bedroom door. “Can I come in, Sweetheart?”
I heard her heartrate spike. “Go away.”
She’d summoned me because she wanted to see me, but a moment in my company had been enough to destroy any goodwill I had with her. “Please let me in, Sweetheart. I’m sorry...I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“You’re a monster.”
Her words cut harder than any sword ever had. “A very sorry monster.”
“I don’t care. I never want to see you again.”
The last time she had seen me, she was eleven. That was an age where everything was kind of fuzzy by the time you were an adult. She didn’t know me the way Luke did, and now she didn’t want to. “Please let me come in and explain.”
“Go away!”
Thrice asked and denied. The demon in me urged me to either open the door and do as I pleased or leave. For once, I listened to the demon.
I opened the door and entered her bedroom.
She trembled under the covers as I took a seat on the edge of her bed. “I know you’re afraid, Sweetheart. But I need you to listen to me. What I did to you was horrible, but the way you’re reacting isn’t natural. Right now, you feel worse than you’ve ever felt in your life and that’s my fault. It’s my fault because I’m not like other vampires. When I feed on people, I take a bite out of their soul. That ache inside of you that makes you feel like you’ve lost everything that was dear to you is one of the side-effects. The deep depression, anxiety, and uncontrollable fear are others.”
“Each second is worse than the last,” she whispered with a shudder. “I feel like I’m going insane.”
“That might happen which is why you need to go to sleep.”
Despite her fear she managed to roll over and point her wand at my forehead. I flicked her stomach hard enough to wind her, caught her by the throat, and placed my thumb against the artery therre. She passed out before she could get her spell off.
I pulled the vial of sleeping potion, I’d stolen from the infirmary, out of my coat pocket and poured it down her throat. It was the same potion I’d used on Luke. She would be unconscious until a cleric healed her.
I rolled her onto her back, wiped her face, and then tucked her in like I had when she was a child. Then I climbed to feet and walked across the living room to Riza’s bedroom.
I could hear her erratic heartbeat as I turned the doorknob and opened the door. She stood inside a barrier circle pointing her wand at me.
I ignored the wand and looked her in the eye as she trembled.
Riza had had countless opportunities to expose me. She hadn’t done that. She’d kept mine and my daughter’s secrets. She cared for Kathrine. So, I decided to trust her.
“How much did you hear?”
She took a deep breath to calm herself. “All of it.”
“Good. Look after Kathrine for me until I get back. I won’t be long.”
***
Dalin lived alone in a small apartment near the infirmary. Getting inside unnoticed was easy. I could hear every sound in the academy, so navigating my way around people wasn’t an issue. I entered his apartment while he slept, making my way to his bedroom. The bedroom was large but sparsely decorated. He didn’t seem to be a man who cared for wealth or luxury.
Katherine’s condition was beyond my worst expectations. Her mental state had deteriorated to a point where she would be committed to an institution in less than an hour. She needed help, help I couldn’t give.
Dalin slept on his back, so I drew Slaughter and placed the blade against his throat. His eyes snapped open, and I showed him my fangs.
He trembled but didn’t cry out. By the way, he carried himself, I knew he hadn’t always been a healer.
“I need your help, Dalin.”
“Doing what?”
“Taking care of my daughter.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“I fed on her soul. I need you to examine the extent of damage.”
Comprehension entered his gaze. “That young woman you brought me was your daughter?”
“Yes. Now, I need to prove a point. Cast your most powerful holy bolt spell at my head.”
He lifted his arm and cast the spell, forming a ball of bright yellow magic. I closed my eyes as the bolt flashed and slammed into my head. When I opened them, Dalin was staring at me with disbelief.
I smiled at him. “I am the vampire Vincent, and I have never taken an innocent life.”
“Your daughter-”
“Was an accident. She teleported me here while I was asleep, and I attacked her before I could regain control. I made her roommate kill her so I wouldn’t be responsible.”
Several thoughts seemed to pass through his head and then he paused. “You don’t intend me any harm, do you?”
“No.” I pulled the blade away from his throat. “I needed you to understand the situation so you didn’t complicate this by calling for help.” I walked over to the armchair in the corner of the room and sat. “Let’s have a polite conversation.”
He rubbed his throat for a moment and then sat up and leaned against his headboard. “Why did you break in here?”
“I told you. I fed on my daughter’s soul and need you to examine her.”
“Why me?”
“You won’t harm my daughter or use her against me.”
He paused. “How do you know that?”
“I’m an ancient vampire and I can see you’re marked by heaven.”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “Prove it?”
I drew Slaughter and lopped off my hand. It snapped back into place, healing in a fraction of a second. His frightened expression pleased me.
“I survive by feeding on Unseen. You and your academy are perfectly safe. The only thing that could change this would be for you to tell them what I am or for them to try to harm my daughter. The church in Arcadia will confirm this.”
“You work with the church.”
“No. I passed the trial of pain, so they tolerate my existence. Now, get dressed. You need to check on my daughter.”
***
Riza watched from the doorway as Dalin finished his examination. She’d done exactly as I told her to while I was gone. Watching over Kathrine while she slept.
Dalin pulled his hand from Kathrine’s forehead and stepped back, frowning. “Her soul is mangled.”
I was afraid of this. “How long does she need to be asleep?”
He scratched his chin. “I’m not sure. It could be a month, or it could be several years. I won’t know until I see how quickly her soul heals. For now, don’t wake her up. Don’t let anyone else wake her up. She’s in an extremely delicate state and might go insane or kill herself if woken. She needs to be surrounded by friends and family when she wakes.”
My daughter had told Riza everything she knew about me, and Riza had passed this on to Dalin. Her confirmation did a lot to settle him. He was willing to wait for conformation from the church before taking action. The threat an ancient vampire posed was too great to ignore a potentially peaceful solution.
I turned to Riza. “I need to leave for a few days. Kathrine is your responsibility until I return.”
She swallowed.
I turned to Dalin. “Help her while I’m gone. Make an excuse for why she doesn’t need to attend classes.”
I couldn’t safely move my daughter, so I needed to stay here and protect her until reinforcements arrived.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“The Abyss.”
I left the dorm room and wandered through the hallways until I found a reflective surface. I needed to deliver a message.
I stared at my reflection. “Amelia, I need you to pass along a message to Davina when you wake up. Tell her I’m awake and at the Darksmith academy in Murdell. Tell her what I did to Kathrine. I need her to find Luke and bring him here to help me fix this. I don’t think I can do it alone, and I’m not leaving until Katrine is better. Make sure she brings the library. We might be here for a very long time.”
Contessa’s research had shown that blood had more restorative properties than straight lifeforce. Familial blood had even stronger restorative properties from what I’d learned from other sources. Hero familial blood seemed to have even more than that because I felt perfectly fine, actually better than fine. I felt stronger than when Luke had woken me up. That meant I had time. Time to protect my daughter and make this right.
It meant the good impression I’d made on the headmaster mattered. Darksmith was one of the safest places in Murdell and I wasn’t going to risk moving her while she couldn’t defend herself. To stay here, all I had to do was show my skills with magic.
Magic that I’d never developed.
I had ten days to change that and all I had on me was Slaughter and the Day Walker set. I had no money, no other equipment. The academy likely had all the materials I needed to develop my core and mana network, but I didn’t want to risk being caught stealing something so valuable and lose my chances at a teaching position.
I needed to descend into the Abyss.