Chapter 11-Sides

Chapter 11: 11-Sides

The academy library run twenty four hours of the day. While the rest of Veris Academy gradually surrendered to daylight some due to alergy while others out of a love for sleep, the library remained wrapped in an enchanted twilight that protected ancient books from the sun’s harsh rays.

Endless shelves stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, disappearing into shadows that seemed deeper than ordinary darkness.

Floating lanterns drifted lazily between aisles, casting pools of light across worn wooden tables, while enchanted ladders silently climbed shelves on their own in search of requested books.

The scent of old parchment, polished mahogany, and dried herbs filled the air.

Normally, it was Lumi Ashbourne’s favorite place in the entire academy. Today, even as she was surrounded by knowledge collected over thousands of years, she couldn’t find the one answer she desperately wanted.

Towering stacks of books surrounded her like fortress walls, ancient vampire scriptures, royal family records, mate bond legends, forbidden histories and bloodline studies.

She had opened every volume remotely connected to vampire mating rituals, yet every page repeated the same truth; a vampire only awakened once with one destined mate. A mate bond never chose based on status and such a bond could not be broken.

None of them mentioned a bond that links five vampire hearts together and that too from five different bloodlines.

Lumi pinched the bridge of her nose. "Impossible." She whispered the word for what felt like the hundredth time.

Her fingertips absentmindedly brushed over the faint warmth beneath her collarbone. The mark was still there. It hadn’t disappeared after several hours. If anything, the connection felt stronger.

She hated mysteries she couldn’t solve which meant she hated Maisa. Her hatred didnt stem from the fact that the redblood had done anything wrong but because she existed beyond explanation.

Soft footsteps echoed between the shelves. Lumi didn’t bother looking up. She already recognized who it was. Only one person walked quietly enough not to disturb readers and the scent of the vampire was familiar to her, too familiar.

"You’re hiding here."

Zolani Mortensen stopped beside the table, clasping her hands together nervously.

Lumi sighed. "I prefer the term researching," she closed one book in frustration.

Zolani glanced at the mountain of books surrounding her.

"Looks more like hiding to me."

Lumi finally looked up. The mixedblood looked unusually restless. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes. Her posture lacked its usual confidence. "You haven’t slept?"

Neither had Lumi and Zolani couldn’t tell. For some reason she knew Lumi hadn’t slept and was in the library, Varitreya wasn’t asleep either and was lying awake in her room, she could feel that Maisa was asleep while Addessa was on a rub around school grounds. It was weird.

"I couldn’t," she answered. Zolani lowered herself into the chair opposite her.

For several moments, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just heavy and long.

However, Zolani broke the silence because of her restless heart. "I wanted to talk."

"I assumed as much," Lumi closed the book she’d picked up to read.

"Princess Varitreya is impossible to approach or I would’ve gone to her," Zolani expressed.

A small smile crossed Lumi’s lips. "Thats true."

"And Addessa..." Zolani shuddered. "Terrifies me."

Lumi couldn’t argue with that either. "So..."

Zolani looked down at her folded hands. "You’re the easiest person to talk to."

Lumi rested her chin against her fingers. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It is."

Another silence settled between them. Then, Zolani quietly asked the question weighing on her heart. "What do you think about Maisa?"

Lumi answered almost immediately. "She’s beautiful."

Zolani blinked. She hadn’t expected that answer from Lumi. The vampire might not express it often but she hated redbloods just as much as princess Varitreya and Addessa. To hear her compliment Maisa was rare.

Lumi noticed her surprise. "I’m not blind, Zol," she spoke matter-of-factly. "Objectively speaking, she’s attractive. Very attractive."

Zolani blinked. To be fair, she didn’t access Maisa’s look much. Her focus had been on the bond, everyone’s reaction and how badly the bond will change their lives. But checking her memories, Lumi wasn’t wrong.

"Other than that..." Lumi shrugged. "There isn’t much else going for her."

Zolani frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lumi leaned back in her chair. "Let’s examine the facts, shall we?" Her tone became analytical, almost like a professor giving a lecture. "She’s a newly turned vampire, she has no control over her instincts, no understanding of our society. Maisa has no allies, no reputation and no achievements."

Zolani couldn’t refute any of the points that Lumi raised. Maisa was like a clean sheet of paper with barely anything written on it while other vampires were a dozen Chapters ahead.

Lumi held up another finger. "She’s a redblood, the lowest ranking bloodline. Worse, she’s turned and not natural bor which automatically places her beneath every naturally born vampire."

Another finger was held up by her. "No known family within vampire society. No noble backing behind her no influential guardian and no political value."

Zolani of all people understood what it meant to lack all of those things. To be considered weak and overlooked for being a commoner with half human blood in her veins, it was a common occurrence for her.

Lumi sighed softly. "From every measurable standpoint that matters... Maisa has nothing."

Zolani lowered her eyes. Hearing someone reduce another person’s worth so coldly made her chest ache.

Lumi continued. "If I were placing bets..." She closed another book. "I’d say she won’t last long here."

The words made Zolani sit upright. "You really think that?"

Lumi looked at her calmly. "I know that," she sounded confident, and when she sounded like thar, she was always right.

Zolani’s brows knitted together. "But why?"

Lumi stared at her for several seconds. Then quietly asked, "Who else awakened in the bond?"

Zolani already knew the answer. "The future queen of the vampire nation."

Lumi nodded. "Princess Varitreya Vancrest," she spoke the royal name with its proper respect. "The palace has spent centuries preserving the purity of the whiteblood line. They would never allow their future ruler to be..." She searched for the least offensive word. "Associated...with a redblood."

Zolani’s heart sank.

Lumi wasn’t finished. "And Addessa," Her expression hardened. "You know her mother."

Zolani felt a chill ran down her body. Everyone did. Lady Challan’s views were infamous throughout vampire society.

"She has spent years publicly arguing that turned vampires should no longer exist. She believes vampire society should consist only of naturally born bloodlines. No Redbloods. No exceptions," the blueblood let out.

Lumi folded her hands together. "So tell me..." She looked directly into Zolani’s eyes. "Where exactly does Maisa fit into that future?"

Zolani opened her mouth but no words came because there wasn’t an answer. Lumi wasn’t speaking from hatred, she was speaking from reality.

"The bond..." Lumi whispered. "May have chosen her but the vampire society never will."

The words lingered heavily between them. Zolani found herself remembering Maisa’s frightened face. The way she’d looked around the council chamber, completely overwhelmed. The way she’d instinctively shrunk beneath Addessa’s glare.

She hadn’t looked dangerous. She just looked lost. "Do you think..." Zolani hesitated. "It would be alright if I were nice to her?"

Lumi’s expression changed instantly. It wasn’t anger that crossed her eye, it was sheer alarm.

"No, don’t even think about it."

The answer came so quickly it startled Zolani. "No?"

Lumi leaned forward. "Don’t, Zol."

"Why?"

"Because helping her means standing beside her," Lumi pointed out.

"So?"

Lumi’s normally gentle voice grew unusually firm. "Standing beside her means standing against Princess Varitreya. It means being against Addessa and eventually... against the palace itself."

Zolani stared. She was dumbfounded at the mountain she’d have to overcome to be nice to Maisa. "I only wanted to be kind."

"I know that, dear," Lumi’s voice softened again."But kindness has consequences within the walls of the academy."

She closed the final book."You’ve spent years earning recognition as a mixedblood. You fought for every ounce of respect people give you today. You worked twice as hard because of your blood."

Zolani nodded silently. Every word was true. Her struggle to reach where she stood at present wasn’t easy. It was her hard work and determination that got her there.

"You finally have a place here, Zol," Lumi stood, gathering her books into neat piles. "If you reach out to Maisa..." she paused. "The vampires won’t see kindness. They’ll see your loyalty."

"Loyalty?"

"They’ll assume you’ve chosen her side," Lumi told her straight. She didn’t sugar-coated it, she knew the consequences and outcome of such kindness and ut wasn’t pretty.

Zolani’s breathing slowed.

"And once that happens..." Lumi looked toward the towering library windows where faint daylight filtered through enchanted glass. "You’ll fall with her."

The sentence landed like a stone. Zolani’s heart clenched tightly. She couldn’t understand why it was so hard to just follow her heart and be a welcoming friendly vampire to Maisa.

"It would be the same as climbing into the grave Maisa unknowingly dug for herself" Lumi adjusted the books in her arms. "And asking to be buried beside her."

The library suddenly felt colder. Lumi walked toward the librarian’s desk. Just before reaching it, she stopped. Without turning around, she quietly added,

"Varitreya and Addessa are already struggling to accept this bond. If they see you openly comforting Maisa..." She glanced over one shoulder. "They won’t take it kindly. And if they begin seeing you as part of the problem..."

Her eyes softened with genuine concern. "...I don’t know if I’ll be able to help you."

With that, Lumi checked out her books and disappeared between the endless shelves.

Leaving Zolani alone. The silence returned and this time it was lethal. Zolani remained seated long after Lumi had gone.

Her eyes drifted toward her own hands. Hands roughened by years of training. Hands that had clawed their way through prejudice. She understood exactly what Lumi meant.

Mixedbloods weren’t respected, not truly. Every compliment she’d ever received had been earned through blood, sweat, and impossible effort.

She had spent years proving she deserved to stand beside the noble natural-born vampires. Years proving she wasn’t weak because of the blood flowing through her veins.

However, she lived in a society where one wrong move, one association with the wrong vampire and everything she’d built could disappear.

Yet, every time she closed her eyes, she saw Maisa standing alone in that council chamber looking terrified, confused and trying so desperately not to show fear. Her heart ached for her.

Zolani slowly pressed a hand against the faint warmth hidden beneath her clothes, on her neck. The mark answered with a gentle pulse.

The bond wasn’t asking her to choose. Her heart already had but her mind understood the cost.

For the first time since awakening as a mate, Zolani realized that the greatest battle ahead wouldn’t be against vampire hunters, rival bloodlines, or academy politics.

It would be deciding whether to follow the rules that had finally earned her a place in this world or follow the quiet pull in her heart that kept leading her back to the lonely redblood girl everyone else had already decided to abandon.

"Maisa, are you worth me destroying myself for you?"