Chapter 7
𝟕 | 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐞
ఌ

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying in bed, groggily stirring awake. As I regained my bearings, my gaze flickered over to Victoria, who was already awake, busy painting her nails.

Her attention was partially occupied by the television, which was playing in the background.

The overpowering odor of the nail polish hit my nostrils, causing me to scrunch up my nose in distaste. The pungent smell was strong and lingering, filling the room with a chemical fragrance that I found unpleasant.

I looked at Victoria, my voice laced with irritation.

"Did you really have to paint your nails right now in a room with a window that's high-up
and shut?"

Victoria looked up from her nail polish, her response sharp and tinged with superiority. "Listen, human, I don't take orders from you. I do what I want." Her words were dismissive.

Noted...

As I pushed myself up into a sitting position, I let out a tired sigh and tried to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.

With a tired tone, I began to speak, drawing the word out. "So..."

Victoria shot me a brief, annoyed glance before fixing her concentration back on her nail polish.

"What?" 

"I'm hungry."

I let out a grumbling sound, my stomach making it clear that I needed food.

"And that's my problem because...?"

I tried to make a point, but before I could continue, Victoria interrupted me, her movements deliberate and slow as she walked towards me.

There was a dangerous undertone in her words.

"You know, I'm feeling quite hungry too—now that you brought it up."

I involuntarily backed up against the wall, my back pressed firmly against its cold surface. As Victoria got close, she sniffed me, her face inches away from mine as she moved closer to my neck. A pleased hum escaped her lips, indicating her pleasure at my scent.

I stood frozen in place, my body stiff and tense as Victoria spoke up, breaking the silence that hung heavily between us. "Rico told me that you made a deal with Aro, offering your blood in exchange for your pathetic human life."

"Yeah... not exactly my finest moment."

Before I could even breathe again, Victoria had a suggestion.

"How about you do the same for me? We could keep it our little secret." Victoria said in a low seductive tone.

"No, I'm not going to keep letting you vampires treat me like some type of object or roadkill. I'm not interested in being treated like your food." I said firmly

"You're in a school full of vampires— why would you not be food? .." Victoria sighs

I made my decision swiftly, taking hold of the door knob.
"Since I'm hungry," I glared at Victoria.

"I'll just get it myself," I declared before turning it and opening the door.

As the door creaked open, my eyes landed on Rico, who was standing just outside the room. Victoria's gaze was fixed in confusion as she took in the unexpected sight of her boyfriend.

"I need you to follow me," Rico says

"For what?"

He shot a glance at Victoria before looking back at me

"Aro Lucien," he explains

What does this asshole want now?

༻༺༻༺༻

I walked through the door held open by Rico and entered the room, my gaze shifting to Aro as I took in his imposing figure. Aro stood facing away from us, his back to the room as he peered out through the glass panels. He spoke firmly, his voice carrying a hint of authority as he dismissed Rico. "That will be all, You may leave us."

Rico nodded and left out, leaving the door shut.

I let out an exasperated sigh "What now?"

Aro sauntered closer, his movements slow and deliberate, his gaze fixed intently on me.

"Now, is that any way to talk to someone?" He chuckled softly.

I stood with my arms crossed, my expression stoic
"You said I could go back to the living class."

Aro responded his tone firm and leaving no room for debate. "I said you could return to retrieve your belongings, not to stay."

I caught myself staring at Aro, taking in his air of nobility and authority. There was just something about him that made me ponder.

I shook myself back to attention, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Let me guess—You need more blood."

Aro flashed a slight smile, his lips curling upwards, "Hmm Yes, but that's not the sole reason why I called you here." He closed the distance between us, his steps measured and purposeful, like a predator approaching its prey.

"I want to know who your parents are." Aro stated firmly.

I felt a pang of protectiveness rise within me, my expression hardening.

"For what?"

Aro's voice remained smooth and unruffled as he responded, "Calm down, I just want to know why you're immune."

"Immune to what?"

"Our compulsion."

I looked at Aro questioningly, seeking clarification.

"Is that the 'brainwashing' thing Rico tried to do to me?"

Aro chuckled softly as he repeated the word I had just spoken. "Brainwash," he mocked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"it's called Compulsion." He states

"Brainwash."

"Compulsion."

"Brain—

"Just be quiet, will you?" He hushed me.

I stood silently, obeying his command and remaining still.
Aro then spoke again, his voice firm and demanding, "Now, who are your parents? What are their names?"

"I don't have a dad." I stated

"What do you mean?"

"He's not present."
I replied

Aro cleared his throat, "My apologies, what about your mother?"

"She's—uh

"She's what?" he walked closer

"She's dead." I lied

Aro's gaze roamed over my figure, taking in every detail. He leaned in, bringing his lips close to my ear, his voice a low rumble.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Kaia?" His tone was hard and authoritative.

"Do you really want me to answer?" I retorted

Aro let out a frustrated sigh and moved away from me, walking back to the window.

"You're really testing my patience, you know. It takes some real restraint not to break our agreement right now." his voice carried a hint of irritation.

...

I took a deep breath.

"My mother's name is Klai Solei," I said, the words falling quietly from my lips.
I spoke further, my eyes fixed on the floor, "She's taking care of my four-year-old sister back home. I never knew my father. My mother hates bringing him up around me." The room fell silent as I finished speaking.

Aro clicked his tongue, his mind working overtime as he mulled over the information. "Your mother's name doesn't sound familiar," he mused, his voice thoughtful.

I looked at him, baffled, questioning, "What are you saying?"

Aro leaned against the window frame, his gaze fixed on me as he explained, "I'm saying that your resistance to our powers likely stems from an inherent supernatural being within you. It's logical to suspect your father has something to do with it."

"But unfortunately, you don't know him at all." he finishes.

"What are you you trying to say? That I'm a vampire!?"

Aro palms himself.

He sighs
"No, not a vampire."

Aro's expression remained contemplative as he mused aloud, "It means there's some trait that has been passed onto you,"

"However, I don't know what that trait is, but it is definitely causing a block that prevents us from reading you."

"Now," he says pulling out his handkerchief.

As I glanced at Aro, I offered my neck to him, tilting my head to the side so he could bite me. However, before his fangs sunk into my flesh, my stomach gave a loud, rumbling growl, causing him to pause.

Aro closed his eyes momentarily, a hint of annoyance or perhaps frustration flickering across his face as he heard the sound of my rumblings stomach. He shifted his position, creating a small distance between us as he opened his eyes and stared at me intently.

"Why didn't you eat?" Aro asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

I let out an exasperated sigh, "Well I tried to, but before I could, one of your goons aka Rico informed me that you wanted to see me."

"Go eat," he instructed. "We can continue this blood-drinking session later," he added, his voice even and controlled.

I stood there quietly and speechless.

"I can wait." Aro continued 

༻༺༻༺

I hurried out of Aro's office, making my way back to my room.
Once I arrived, I shut the door behind me, only to find Victoria sitting on her bed, holding a sandwich in her hand. She offered it to me silently.
I accepted the gesture with a sincere "Thank you?"
Victoria rolled her eyes in response and went back to brushing her hair, her attention diverted back to the television.