Chapter 100: Bonfire Night: A seat beside him

–Chapter 100–

The minutes that followed after his arm wrestling with the werewolf, who now identified himself as Bram Argent, were slow.

Food was brought to the different tables and Dean noticed that eyes that were usually drifting on and off him were staying longer now, but he didn't bother to acknowledge them. After all, the ones directly on his table were enough.

His attention was very much on Olsen though. The gentle giant sat beside him and was eating like he was possessed.

It was as if the boy had decided that eating was the only social activity tonight that wouldn't put him in any form of trouble.

He laughed and teased Ash every now and then. Answered questions when asked. But every time the conversation near him got loud or the competitive energy at surrounding tables spiked, something in Olsen's shoulders tightened subtly.

Paying close attention, Dean didn't say anything. He just stayed close enough that Olsen wouldn't feel isolated in the slightest. That was enough for now.

---

"So how far have you gone with that gauntlet?"

Dean was engaging Olsen when he felt a certain strain in his chest, and it definitely wasn't from the third-year vampire, Gretchen, who had been teasing the werewolves all this while. It was something else entirely.

Lifting his head slightly, he turned to his rear and an unplanned smile appeared on his face.

Astrea had arrived and she wasn't alone.

The beautiful vampire was standing just behind the empty seat to his left, with Raenar positioned one step behind her right shoulder like she'd grown out of Astrea.

The Vermith's eyes wandered around the table efficiently, assessing everything, with her gaze slowing down on the third-year Gretchen.

But her gaze didn't linger. Instead, she looked down at Dean, who had stood seemingly out of courtesy.

Before Astrea could speak, Dean turned fully toward Raenar.

"Raenar." He nodded in her direction. "It's been a while, haven't seen you since the draft. You good?"

Raenar and basically everyone but Olsen and Ash were caught by surprise.

The vampire servant in question blinked twice. She was a bit confused and turned to Astrea. Truly, she hadn't expected to be addressed first or even at all.

After a small, subtle nod from Astrea, Raenar looked directly at Dean.

"I am well, Master Gray." She paused for a moment and continued in a softer tone. "Thank you for asking."

"Anytime…" Dean replied with ease, ignoring the sudden silence at the table.

Without any rush, he pulled the empty chair beside him toward Astrea without making any fuss out of it.

Astrea moved with grace. Her steps pulled all the attention that followed her like a black hole as she sat right next to Dean.

Her expression was still blank, though Dean could tell she was pleasantly impressed underneath.

Immediately after she sat, the head of the table, Gretchen, shifted slightly. She watched all that happened with patience, like someone who was witnessing a game unfold.

"Von Vermith Astrea," Gretchen finally spoke with a pleasantly soft tone. "Never would I believe I would see you outside for an event like this one."

'It has begun,' Dean thought as he turned towards Gretchen.

Responding with immediate effect, Astrea kept her unreadable expression but her words were wickedly polite and completely impenetrable.

"Student Week encourages new experiences, Gretchen."

Gretchen let out a low chuckle.

"It does." Then her eyes moved to Dean briefly before returning to Astrea. "Though I have to say, your table selection is quite interesting."

At this point, even the two werewolves at the table paused. Their forks hovered above their respective steaks of meat.

The other human at the table, other than Olsen and Dean, had completely buried himself in his drinking cup.

Staring at Gretchen for a short moment, Astrea held the gaze without any effort before she spoke.

"It is…? How so?"

"Well… as you know, your family has very particular views on social proximity," Gretchen continued, her tone still perfectly pleasant. "But I always admire people who decide for themselves."

Noticing the subtle shade, Dean was well aware that the compliment was constructed entirely out of pressure.

And it seemed Astrea understood it completely as well.

"You Mercuriens always had a gift for observation," she retorted. "Must be nice."

The corner of Gretchen's mouth curled upward slightly, but Dean couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance.

These two were verbally sparring like it was the Cold War all over again. Each sentence had like four meanings.

Dean didn't exactly know the political structure between these two vampire houses, Vermith and Mercurien, but he was picking a few things up.

At this point, Olsen was done with his plate of food and was now viciously eyeing Dean's.

Yeah… the boy was definitely stress-eating…

Gretchen leaned forward slightly and produced a bottle from beneath the table.

She moved with the clear authority of someone exercising a Year 3 prerogative. She placed the second bottle beside the academy-approved bottle. The difference was obvious enough for all to see.

"Since we're encouraging new experiences," she said to the table generally, a mischievous smile playing on her dark red-shaded lips.

One of the werewolves grinned immediately, pushing his drinking cup forward.

---

Although the approved drink was fine, Dean had to admit that the one Gretchen pulled out hit differently.

The table had loosened considerably by the time Gretchen proposed a question game, which Dean suspected had been the plan from the moment she pulled out that drink.

The game was simple enough.

Answer honestly or drink.

"How would you know if we are lying?" Dean asked curiously.

"We have a Vermith." Gretchen nodded in Astrea's direction.

"I see…" Dean nodded. "Then-"

"Then how do we know if the Vermith is lying?" Bram Argent cut in before Dean.

"Well… they are famous for their honesty," Gretchen mocked. "We just have to trust her, right boys?"

Witnessing how things were unfolding, Olsen drank before the first question was even finished.

The table laughed and the last of the formal tension that was rising again dissolved into something that looked like actual young adults having a fun-filled night.

The questions moved around. Some revealing, some deflecting, some just loud.

Gretchen turned to Dean from across the table, her eyes teasing him.

"So… Blue Gate at eighteen. Was it worth it?"

Dean considered the question for a real moment. His eyes were calm and searching.

"Ask me in ten years," he said simply to deflect, but he didn't drink.

Gretchen accepted the answer with a smile and didn't drink.

Next, one of the werewolves spoke to Astrea, emboldened by the unapproved bottle.

"Why are you actually sitting here, Vermith?"

The table went slightly quieter.

Then Astrea looked at the boy with a rather patient expression. Yet the question had actually caught her off guard.

She opened her mouth slowly.

"Because I want to," she said simply while cocking her head slightly.

She didn't drink either and instead drank from an exquisite cup of blood that Raenar was holding for her.

Raenar, standing behind her, allowed herself the smallest possible expression.

A silent chuckle.

The games were still going on even as cheers, laughter, and arguments mixed with the sharp crackling sounds of the bonfire.

But just then… Dean spotted Ymir even before she saw him or could sniff him out.

He didn't waste a moment and waved at her. Admittedly, he was missing her.

"Hey…" he waved.

Astrea followed his eyes and sighed openly, breaking her expressionless face for the first time.

"Fucking… fantastic," she said sarcastically.

–End of Chapter–