章 2: Chapter 2- Definitely not a spell
POV- Dominic
The drive to their school was awfully long, and listening to Landon's awkward attempts at conversation with both Hope and Saltzman, who had introduced himself as Dr Alaric Saltzman, made me almost long for the priest's happy speech about ripping demons from the bodies of humanity.
"So how do you two know each other?" Alaric asked from the driver's seat, looking between Hope and Landon.
"He used to serve me milkshakes at the Mystic Grill."
"Peanut butter, whipped cream at the bottom."
"How can you remember her order but still screw up a coffee?" I tease, drawing a smirk from both Alaric and Hope.
"Shut it," he hissed, but there was no anger behind his words but embarrassment. Turning back to Hope, he adds neutrally, "We danced once."
"We tried," she said, with a smile that would melt the hearts of even the most cold-blooded of men. "And then you moved away."
"And then you made a door blow off its hinges with your brain. Do you feel like explaining that?"
"Oh, we'll explain everything," Alaric interrupts, probably wanting to avoid the desperate teen emotions packed into the one car. Surprisingly, he and Rafael were the best company on the trip, as Hope was too much to ignore for Landon, and I felt somewhat bad for looking at her, even though he hadn't explicitly claimed his interest. "We're almost there."
A few minutes later we arrive at a set of tall, wrought iron gates, guarding the entrance to what looked to be a country club, but was actually a school for the "Young and Gifted," though with last night's experience I was under the belief the gifts may be supernatural in nature. Pulling up to the front Alaric steps in for a moment, bring out two students dressed in uniform. The girls weren't as stunning as Hope, but they also weren't the crush of my mate/ foster brother, so I was more than willing to hear out the girls. A tall blonde, standing at 5'9 with blue eyes only a little less vibrant than my own, seemed excited to meet us, while the other, a 5'5 brunette with her hair half up, half down, maintained a friendly if somewhat professional attitude.
"Welcome to the Salvatore School, We're your tour guides."
"I'm Josie," the shorter brunette provided with a slight head tilt.
"I'm Lizzy, sisters," added the taller blonde with legs for days.
"Twins.
"Fraternal, obvs."
"Rafael, why don't you go ahead with the girls while I speak to Dominic and Landon." Alaric prodded, leading us into a somewhat dingy office with Hope and away from the twins. 'I always wanted to try dating twins.'
On the way there, I bump shoulders with Hope, "So what's with the twins, one seems to like you and the other wants nothing to do with you. Are you dating one of them? Dump one of them?" Landon almost pivots on the spot to watch her reaction, but she sighs and shakes her head.
"No, but our relationship became strange after Dr Saltzman became a father figure for me, considering they're his kids."
"Difficult issue to solve, I guess. Shame, three super powerful girls kicking ass together would have been really cool to watch," I comment, drawing a soft smile from Hope.
Now seated in the office of Alaric, I was a little curious why we'd been singled out. Me I could understand, seeing as he thought I was under some spell, but Landon could have gone on the tour. "So what is this place?" Landon asks, despite us having walked past students levitating books and other objects in the room just outside the office. "Some kind of school for magic?"
"We are a school for the supernatural," Alaric corrected, leaning back in his chair. "Which covers a lot of territory. Everyone here has something that makes them special in ways the outside world wouldn't understand."
Landon turned on Hope, "So what are you?"
I reach across and slap his arm, "Dude, be polite."
Hope closes herself off and turns to Alaric, "I should get to class."
"No, sorry, but you're the only person from here that I know."
"If you want him to trust you she'll help," I offer, receiving a nod from Alaric. "So witches," I say nodding at Hope, "And werewolves are real, and are in a school together, cool. Do other creatures exist, or just them?"
"Vampires too, they make up almost a third of the student body."
Alaric interrupts Hope's explanation, moving to the point of discussion he'd been waiting for all along. "I have some questions about Rafael."
"Like what?" Landon asked nervously.
"Well, let's start with who he killed recently."
"Why would you ask us that?"
"The werewolf gene lies dormant until the carrier takes a human life. If Rafael triggered his curse-"
"It's because he killed someone," I finish.
"And we don't accept cold-blooded killers into our program," Alaric continued.
Defending his brother harshly Landon almost growls back his response. "He's not a killer."
"And he's not a threat," I say in support. "Landon, they need to know, plus they could have simply pulled the information from our heads." Seeing his shoulders sag, I explain. "Raf didn't murder anyone, he was driving with his girlfriend Cassie." Hope cringed at the implied story; Alaric's fist clenched slightly on the edge of the desk. "Last month, during a storm he took a turn too fast, and she didn't make it. Ever since he's been acting out, aggressive even. Hell, a few days ago he threw a 200-pound lawnmower 50 feet across the yard. So, he has issues, no doubt. But I don't think he's a threat to your school, not unless provoked at least."
"Thank you," Alaric notes, then sends me into another room with an older witch, probably in her early thirties, not that I could honestly guess with her being a witch. "This is Emma, she'll be performing a cleansing ritual to remove the effects of any spells cast on you, is that okay?" Quickly testing to see if I could shift my hands into the claws like before successfully, I nod.
"Go ahead." Pulling out a book filled with foreign inscriptions she begins to murmur, causing a bright glow to emanate from me.
"Try now," she gestures, but when the same black claws and light gray skin form over my hands she recoils in shock.
"I take it, this isn't a spell then. On a similar note, do all supernatural creatures have a trigger for the genes, because I've never killed anyone, and apart from the last two nights, nothing weird has happened."
"TWO nights? What happened the night before last?" As I explain what happened, skimming over the details in the car, she takes notes the entire time, promising to find out whatever she can.
"Are we done in here? Hope asks, head sticking through the door. "I can grab Milton now if you want."
"Yeah, not a spell," I reply, causing her eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. "100% natural monster. Just apparently not the ones you know, which isn't helping my nerves."
"I'll, uh, grab Dr Saltzman." Their conversation ends with me being asked to join Rafael and the twins, being escorted by the boy, Milton, who was apparently a vampire.
"Woah, so you're immortal, that's pretty cool. Wait but the sun?"
"Yeah, we have these daylight rings made by the witches to prevent the sun from killing us, so we can blend in better."
"Do you drink human blood, or is it more like Twilight?"
"We drink from prepacked blood bags, so you can feel safe that we won't bite," he said, a smile revealing his fangs and black veiny eyes. Shifting my hands into claws I can feel movement near the base of my spine, a long, slender tail with an arrow-shaped head shoots out the top of my jeans and hangs curled around my leg. "What the fuck is that?" he shouts, jumping at least 12 feet away in an instant.
"A tail. Apparently, I'm not one of the three types of monsters your school deals with.
"Dude, that's wicked. It looks like a devil's tail."
"That might explain the thing with the priest," I mutter.
"What thing with the priest? He asked.
"It's nothing. On a completely separate subject that has nothing to do with your superhearing, are the rooms soundproofed?"
"Yeah, they'd have to be, too many teens in one building and with almost two-thirds having enhanced senses it was a necessity." Making our way to the football field where Raf was getting up and leaving Lizzie in near tears on the bench. Raf walked off, before I could even get near him, so I decided to comfort the teary-eyed blonde.
"Hey, whatever, he said, I'm sorry. He's been more…hostile than usual lately, after losing Cassie last month." She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my legs in a hug, as Milton found and sat with Josie. With one hand stroking the blonde's hair I wave to Josie, who drags Milton over to us.
"I thought you'd be…"
"Human again?" I offer, "Nope, still a random monster, claws and tail."
"Tail?" Lizzie asks, wiping her eyes as she reassesses me. Unwinding the tail from my leg, the flexible tail which I had some kind of intuitive control over flickered in front of her, drawing some eyes from others around us too. "Well, you're definitely not a wolf, vamp or witch, so I guess you can sit with us if you want. The vamps and wolves are very cliquey, so we're probably the best bet."
A small smile blooms on my face, 'Even when I'm different, these people are still willing to accept me, no questions asked. Something I appreciate.' "If Landon and Raf are staying I'll definitely consider your offer Lizzy."
Milton looked over nervously, "Landon is probably human, so it's unlikely that he'll be allowed to stay, he's currently being held in a cell while we wait for any traces of vervain to leave his system."
"I understood none of that, but you can't leave him in a cell, he's seriously claustrophobic. He was stuffed in boxes and cupboards by some of his old foster parents and he can't be left alone there, can you take me?" Josie and Lizzy both agree instantly, pulling me in the direction of a large warehouse-looking building.
"Lando? Where are you?"
"Dom, I'm back here." Seeing his pale, sweaty face I can tell he's been stressing about the cell. "What happened with the spell, are you human again?" Flickering the tail around like a whip, I shake my head.
"Odds are, I actually died two nights ago and became whatever the fuck I am supposed to be. And if you can tough it out until the weird plant thing leaves your system, and still remain immune, we'll know you're a supernatural too.
"That's a big if," he replies sourly. Placing a hand on his shoulder I wish he could relax, sleep even. Just to help get him through tonight without feeling trapped. A rush of cold runs through my arm and Landon sinks to the ground, lying flat on the ground breathing deeply. 'I can put people to sleep with a touch, that is…really lame, but hopefully, it will help narrow down what I am. Joining back with Josie and Lizzy, the loveliest twins I'd met. 'The only twins I've met,' I get invited to a bonfire party this evening.
"You have to come," Lizzy pleads, pulling on my arm.
"It'll be fun, there's drinks, weed, even some homegrown mushrooms," Josie adds. "Besides, there's no way you can miss your first party, it's like a rite of passage."
"As long as there's no chance of me being roofied and tied to a lamp post like a guy I know, I'm down…but I might be drinking a little bit lighter than usual."
"Oh, why?" Josie asked, more curious than nosy.
"Well the last time I went to a party and got blind drunk, I got stabbed to death and left in an alleyway." The horror on both the girls' faces made me smirk. "Hey, seeing as this is a boarding school, is there any way I can get a single room? No offence, but I'm not sharing regardless of what your dad says."
"We can have a word with him if you'd like," Lizzy offers.
"He'll do anything we ask him to," Josie adds. Being friends with the principal's twin daughters even comes with perks.
Turning to Liz I ask, "So, what did Raf say that upset you so much?"
She pauses mid-step, her grip on my sleeve so tight she yanks me back with her. "Nothing serious, just that he was avoiding girls like me," she says, briefly clearing a hitch in her throat, "but I said some stuff about him being single and being damaged, so he was right to be angry."
"Perhaps, but he still shouldn't have been rude about it. If you want to be friends with him, avoid bringing up Cassie. He feels entirely responsible, and calling people damaged generally isn't flattering, even if true."
"Are you damaged?" Josie asks, having apparently missed my last comment.
"Most people from the system are, and if I hadn't magically healed all my old scars, I'd have shown you, but I'm not going to snap at you as Raf would. I escape into distractions and hate being forced to do things, but I think most teenagers are the same. But being damaged gives a person character, the experiences shape us into who we are."
Seeing the almost glowing eyes of the twins staring at me I cough lightly, bringing them out of their daze. So are we headed to your dad because I need to talk to Emma about something?"
~~~~
"So you can put someone to sleep with a touch?" Emma posed the question.
"I wanted him to relax and sleep til tomorrow, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious, so…yeah."
"Would you mind testing to see if it also affects known supernaturals?"
"Sure, I just want to know what I am." After knocking a young vampire unconscious for the 5 minutes I'd wanted him to, I determine that I also have control over the duration of the sleep, though I was uncertain whether I could truly hold a vampire unconscious, as they were in essence, dead. 'Maybe it's more like stasis for them?' Holding Emma's hand I concentrate on her being happy, picturing her smile and laugh. As she begins to giggle like a maniac, I release her, removing the effect.
"Emotional manipulation as well, perhaps a form of empathy through a telepathic connection or a chemical exchange through the skin. Either way, you have control over sleep, and emotions and have issues with scripture. That should greatly limit the number of options thanks."
On my way to talk to Alaric, hoping his charming daughters had worked on him, I almost walked into Hope, who was dressed like she was going to a yoga class, with a pink t-shirt that hung loose everywhere except her chest, at no fault of the designer. 'Seriously it's like her supernatural power is beauty itself. No bad Dom, leave the girl for the awkward crushing boy who can't talk to women and will inevitably screw things up.' "If you're planning to talk to Landon tonight, I wouldn't bother, he'll be asleep till morning."
"Why would I want to talk to him?"
"Because he's normal, for a certain degree of normal. And girls like you crave normal."
"You don't know me," she growls.
"Yet normal girls avoid him like the plague, which means those that notice him are rare, and considering the last one had so much baggage she could barely function without him, I can make a guess." She didn't say anything, but the averted gaze said enough. "He still has that crush on you, but know that if you expect maturity and a healthy relationship, Landon will need time." She nods and opens the door to Alaric's office, the descending sun blasting through the window.
"Hope, I'll be with you in a second. Dominic I hear you've been friendly with my girls."
"Well pissing off the headmaster's daughters seemed like a poor decision, plus they're both helpful and kind so there's nothing to lose."
"I heard you would want to remain here at Salvatore school, are you sure you could do that, even if Landon leaves."
"While I'm fairly confident he's one of us, he's too weird to be human anyway, I would like to stay. Raf would probably go with him but they're desperately co-dependant until at least they latch onto someone else. I like them, but if I'm a danger to myself and others, I need to know about it, not coddle a walking abandonment issue advert….so yes, I would like to enrol here, preferably in my own room."
"Is there a reason, you don't want to share a room?"
"I'm not part of any of the cliques, and even if Landon was supernatural, I would kill him myself if I had to share a room with him again. Exaggerating of course, though I'd definitely smash his guitar."
"There are a few empty rooms so that won't be an issue, just know that we can ask to check your rooms for illegal substances at any time."
"Sweet, I'm gonna go down to the party, see you tomorrow, Dr Saltzman."
~~~
While Josie had helped clean my clothes, simply waving her hand in front of me, she had put no effort into changing, simply removing the blazer, while Lizzy had completely changed outfit, dressing up to better reflect the confident and outgoing persona she held.
"I heard a rumour Josie was dating a wicked witch," I tease, leaning back on Lizzy's bed while she fusses with her hair.
"I was, until recently. How'd you hear about it?"
"I asked Milton earlier, and when the topic of the Saltzman twins came up, he blabbed, sorry. But if she-who-must-not-be-named is your ex, does that mean you're batting for the other team or both? It's rude of me to ask, but my curiosity is killing me."
Rubbing her arm, she looks at Lizzy, "I'm bi, and no it's not a secret or anything. But I don't like the associations people make with it."
"That you'll steal anyone and get freaky in threes?" I ask, thinking back to some of the discussions I've heard from some of the last schools I went to.
"Yeah… are you?"
"No, I've never been particularly interested in guys, with the exception of Henry Cavil and Ryan Reynolds." The two twins looked at each other and laughed."
"Yup, that's the straightest answer you could have said, though with your features you look a little like a slimmer Cavil."
"Well, unlike him, I'm not Superman, just really into callisthenics."
"I'm serious, remove the dreadful clothes," Lizzy says causing me to flinch slightly, "And you could definitely model."
"Thanks, but if we plan on getting to the party sometime today, we really need you to hurry up Liz."
And so, we headed out, and I swore that the next opportunity I get, I'm taking these two with me to buy clothes. I'd been left with little but the comfy jeans and oversized hoodie I'd visited the church in, and that wouldn't stand. 'There's no way I'm letting myself be cockblocked by my wardrobe.'
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