It is not in a traditional understanding of magical creatures that we find an understanding of vampires and their abilities, but instead in an understanding of how human mages receive their abilities. The common misconception is that vampires are like magical creatures, but that is in fact not the case. The way in which magical creatures use magic is completely different to human mages. Vampires are in fact human mages. The study by Holmwood et al proves this.

Arthur Dynas' theory that humans are given the ability to use magic as a self-regulation mechanism by the dual mundane-magical world system is widely accepted. In one view, our magical ability is seen as the mundane world's 'release valve' on building imbalance or 'pressure' between the two halves of the system, just as magical creatures being forced to cross the boundaries between worlds can be seen as a release valve for imbalanced magical energy within the magical realm.

Our magical ability is manifested within us through what has been dubbed 'magical coding.' Essentially, magical coding is the magical equivalent of the genetic coding that makes up one's eye colour, height, facial features. It is the 'code' that determines our magical ability and is hypothesized to be 'written' at birth and manifest along with puberty. Vampires, then, are the magical equivalent of a birth defect of a human mage. Just as errors in genetic coding create birth defects in infants such as clubfoot, encephalopathy, acromegaly and numerous others, errors in magical coding create vampires' warped ability to utilize human magic. Somewhere along the line in the manifestation of a human's functional ability to use magic, an error occurs, and propagates into this warped ability. Thus the vampires lose the ability to generate their own magic and must leech it from others. They are only able to use Consumption magics and have no ability to turn their magic off. Most detrimental, however, is that the magic inherent in natural sunlight interacts destructively with the warped magic in their cells when they are exposed to it, creating an effect that mirrors temporary radiation poisoning and completely dampens the vampire's magic.

Similarly to birth defects in mundane human children, these errors in the manifestation of magical ability in humans have an extremely small chance of occurring, and when combined with the already rare population of human mages, we can see why these creatures are elusive. The similarities don't end there. Just as there are dozens of genetic defects in mundane children, so are there several (known, and likely many unknown) different magical defects that lead to different 'warpings.' Werewolves, kitsune, are other examples of human mages with magical defects. See Appendix B for a list.

Jacob rubbed the bridge of his nose and impulsively checked his phone. His mother had texted him asking how his day was going. He fired out a text back, then tossed his phone across the table where he couldn't reach it. He always found that helped him study.

Not that he wanted to read anymore. Christ, but this Richard Westlake guy was longwinded. Couldn't they just list out the important stuff and leave the excruciating postulation to the end?

He checked the notes he'd taken already:

1. Vampires drain magic and blood from their victims, which directly powers their own magic. They can't generate their own magic.

2. Vampires only have access to Consumption magics, but for some unknown reason, their Consumption magic receives a massive boost compared to a normal mage. Maybe part of the warping? But why would that increase their power? Doesn't make sense.

3. Garlic, and other strong smelling things, while they won't damage a vampire, may ward it off because of its extremely heightened sense of smell.

4. Vampires avoid the sun. It makes them unable to use magic and makes them sick. Something to do with light and magic being intertwined, like Ebraheem was talking about at our testing. Couldn't really make sense of Westlake's reasoning. Something to do with the warping again.

5. Vampires look like regular people. They blend in.

"Jacob!"

Jacob blinked, then looked up. Camilla stood next to his table, a bundle of books held to her torso with both arms. "I didn't know you were in here. What class are you studying for?"

"Oh, um, none. I'm researching vampires."

"Vampires? Have you done the readings for Magical History already?"

"No," He blushed.

"But it's in like an hour!"

He shrugged. "Whatever. That stuff's boring anyway."

"Oh," Camilla glanced at the books she was holding, then plopped a few on the table.

"Well, I would do them, but I figured this is more important." He paused, then forged ahead. Camilla would get it, right? "I was just thinking about how dangerous that rogue mage was, you know..."

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She got it. He could tell, somehow, even though she didn't say anything.

A silence passed between them. They hadn't really talked about it. He didn't really even want to think about it.

Jacob rubbed the pages between his fingers and stared at the table. "I never thanked you for everything you did. Without you I'd... I'd probably be dead."

"Oh, stop it, Jacob."

"I'm serious." He met her eyes. They were glassy. He realized he'd been very selfish bringing this up. He wasn't the only one who'd... been through all that. She obviously didn't want to talk about it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm stupid."

"It's okay. You should have talked about it with me earlier. You don't have to carry it around by yourself."

He fished for something to say. "How's Hueller doing?"

Camilla pulled out her phone. "Recovering still. He called me earlier, said he'd be back up and working in a few weeks."

"I'm glad to hear that. Xavier and Millicent?"

"Said they're gonna be a little slower to heal than him, but they both should make full recoveries. But what about you, Jacob? Are you doing alright?"

Jacob gripped the book tightly between his fingers. "I... I'm fine."

"Are you?"

He tensed. He hadn't told anybody this, but it was Camilla. She wouldn't make fun of him, right? "I don't know. Sometimes I think about Jimmy and I... get upset. I can't believe he's dead. He was talking to me one moment, and then that asshole killed him." He breathed out. Maybe Camilla was right. Talking about it did make him feel a little better. "What about you?"

She sat down in the chair next to him. "Sometimes it scares me. And I tried to talk to Grace about it, but she just didn't get it."

Jacob nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Right? I'm a little worried that that is what being a Ranger is going to be like and I'm not going to be able to handle it. But then like my father did it, so I'm gonna have to do it, whether I can handle it or not. But I don't know..."

Jacob blinked. He was shocked Camilla doubted herself. She was so strong, so powerful, knew so much. Head and shoulders above the rest of them. Christ, how could she doubt herself? She was going to be one of the greatest mages to ever live. He was sure of that.

Maybe he should have said what he thought, but he was too embarrassed, so he settled for: "I think you'll be fine."

"You do?"

"You were the one who beat him, after all."

"Stop that."

"I mean, you literally were."

"I guess so."

They sat there in silence for a minute.

Then Camilla reached over and threw her arms around him. Jacob tensed up.

"Hug me back, moron." She said, her voice muffled in his shoulder.

He relaxed bit by bit, then tentatively put his arms around her. His face was right in her mass of black curls. She smelled good. Really good. He felt some of the tension go out of him. Then she started to pull back and he let her go.

Silence.

"Thanks, Camilla."

She made a noise. "Next time, you hug me first."

"Okay." Jacob blushed. He might as well just ask her for her number now since he couldn't get any more embarrassed. "Um, could you give me your phone number so we can, like, communicate for class and studying?"

She smiled. "Yes."

They traded numbers.

Jacob cleared his throat. "You wanna go over some vampire stuff?"

"Sure." Camilla grabbed the book and looked at the cover.

"Here's the notes I took." He pushed his sheet over to her.

Camilla scanned it over. "Yuck, I guess I can't hate on all those people putting garlic outside their rooms."

"I know. I should probably be doing the same."

"You don't have any notes here on how strong they are."

"Haven't gotten to it yet, I guess. Ishaan told me the one that attacked his family lifted up a couch with one arm like it was nothing."

"You talked to him?"

"Yeah."

"Hmph. Well, my father said they're usually the equivalent of a strong Consumption mage. So, like Grace's strength level but in Cons."

"Christ, that's pretty strong."

"I know."

"What else can you tell me?"

"The Academy has probably brought in someone from the Brotherhood of Saint Cypria."

"Ms Sterling mentioned them in class last week. Who are they exactly?"

"They're like a Catholic cult that deals with magical creatures without using magic."

"How do they do that?"

"Lots of training, guns, and advanced weaponry. Supposedly they also use magical artifacts because that isn't considered using actual magic to them."

"And they hunt vampires?"

"Along with any magical creatures that cross over."

"So they're good guys?"

"Maybe. I don't know. But I'd bet there's one on campus right now hunting down the vampire."

Jacob frowned. "You think so?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Why haven't they caught it then?" He said absentmindedly. "Can't be that tough."

"Oh so now you're a vampire hunter?"

"No, but like seriously, the campus is closed off. Only so many places it can hide."

"But it looks like a person, remember."

"True."

They each paused, then looked at each other.

"It's gotta be someone," Camilla whispered.

"A faculty member or student. Jesus Christ." Jacob whispered. The realization struck him dumb. No way a random person could blend in this long. Suddenly the campus seemed very small, the amount of people he could trust limited to maybe himself and Camilla.

"Yeah..." Camilla said, eyes searching the table surface. "It has to be."

They sat in silence, absorbing the revelation.

"But if that's the case, why hasn't the faculty lined us all up and made us cast a Production spell?"

"No." Camilla was shaking her head. "It can't be a faculty member or student. All the faculty are vetted mages. And the students all have had to show aptitude. It has to be someone else, like, one of the people who runs the supermarket. But even they would have been vetted thoroughly before being allowed in. So how did it bypass that? And how haven't they found it yet?"

Jacob's head whirled with possibilities, none of which seemed to work. It was impossible to narrow down.

"We don't even have the benefit of the sun," Camilla said.

"What?"

"The sun here. It's mostly artificial. I bet the vampire can move around in daytime."

Jacob groaned. "I'm buying garlic next time I'm at the supermarket."

They sat in silence, trying to figure something out but coming up blank.

"Do you wanna read some encounters?" Jacob tapped the second book Ishaan had recommended. "We should be ready for anything."

"Yes!"

They poured over the first tale from Tia Garcia's Bloodsuckers: a gruesome, detailed and somewhat archaically written account of a vampire terrorizing developers and tourists in the budding resort areas of Los Cabos in the late 1970s.

Camilla's phone buzzed.

"Oops! That's Grace, wondering where I am. We're late for Magical History."

Jacob jumped out of his seat. He'd totally forgotten about class. Another late attendance.

Juvenile delinquent.