Chapter Twenty-Eight: Summoned.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Summoned.


Ember tossed and turned in her bed, unable to shut her brain off. Whenever she closed her eyes, her mind rolled out images of the vampire boy she had just met in the woods.

She thought his complexion was weird because he looked pale, and whiter than normal. His hair was jet black and his eyes dark. Although, he was really tall and lanky which Ember thought was actually really, really hot!

She squeezed her eyes shut and spanked herself in the face. “Omg, Ember! You stupid, stupid girl. There’s no way you’re thinking of a vampire and calling him hot”. She realized she was talking to herself but she didn’t even care.

Everything about that strange vampire boy was fascinating to her. The way his mouth curled up when he smiled was sexy, even his arrogance made Ember’s body tingle in some kind of way. No one else had ever made Ember feel that way, not even Pete.

She told herself that the only reason she had helped him escape was because she wanted to do something good for one of Cathy’s kind, but  even that was a terrible lie. Deep down she knew the reason was because she hoped they would meet again.

Ember found herself praying that she would run into this vampire again. The pull she felt towards him was strangely satisfying and to add to everything, his sense of humour was top tier. After hours of tossing and turning, she finally drifted into a deep and relaxing sleep. 

Soon, the alarm clock went off, the sound from it was loud and piercing, making Ember jerk up from her bed. She groaned and glanced at the clock. 

“Shoot!”, she exclaimed and jumped up to her feet. It was 10AM and she was already late for school. How long had she been asleep? She hurriedly went about the motions of having her bath and getting ready for school. 

Half an hour later, she sauntered through the Academy halls and she inhaled sharply, being surprised by what she saw. The school hallway buzzed with excitement. Colorful banners, adorned with cheerful messages, hung from the ceiling, swaying gently.

Different artworks, vibrant and lively covered the walls, showcasing various talents. Balloons of every color bobbed in the air, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

The air was filled with the chatter of various Lycans and Ember gasped as she took in the beautiful view of the hallway. Was there some kind of special occasion going on? In a corner, Pete stood holding a sign that read “We Are Very Glad To Have You Here”.

Ember gave him a clipped smile and raised a hand to wave at him, but he quickly turned his head away. She rolled her eyes, feeling stupid for even thinking that Pete was cool with her again.

“Hey, Ember” Jene’s voice chimed in her ears. She was grinning from ear to ear and Ember found herself smiling widely too. “Jene! Last night was so great. Congratulations!”, she yodelled.

Jene grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly. “Thank you for showing up, Em. It really meant a lot to me that you did—“, she released Ember’s hands and gave her a piercing stare. “—although, I heard that you left early”

“About that, I am so sorry but something came up and I…I just had to leave” Ember stuttered, trying to sound convincing. Jene shrugged, slapping her explanation off. “No judgment over here. I’m sure whatever came up was pretty important”

Ember nodded softly and found herself glancing over to Pete again. She said, “He is still so pissed at me. He won’t even give me a chance to explain myself”

Jene patted her shoulder lightly. “Come on, give him some time. He will come back to his senses, eventually” “I hope so” Ember muttered. Jene shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “I have to go, Ember” she said, “but, we’ll catch up later”

Before she took off, Ember said. “Wait, is there a special occasion happening here today?”, she gestured around the hallway. “Look at this place. I couldn’t even recognize it when I walked in”. This seemed to spike up Jene’s interest because her eyes lit up immediately. “Don’t tell me you don’t know”, said Jene.

“Know what? I’m so out of date with everything” Ember replied, genuinely unaware of what was going on. Jene was bubbling with excitement, she even had to physically stop herself from squealing. “Mr Lou, the Principal, he is going to be here today!”

The smile faded from Ember’s face because that was definitely not what she was expecting to hear. “He is going to be here?”, she asked, echoing what Jene had said. “Duh, yeah” replied Jene. “Everyone is so excited about his coming”. Everyone except Ember because she already felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. 

The last time she had seen Mr Lou had been on the day she was released from the dungeon. She definitely wasn’t excited to see him again after that.

An Hour Later...

Mr Lou climbed up to the podium looking just as posh as Ember could remember. His eyes had that mischievous glint in them and Ember couldn’t bare to look at him. Somehow, his presence reminded Ember of the dungeon and Cathy and just everything she would kill to forget.

From where she sat, she sighted Juno, Lisa and Lyra at the front row. They were chatting away with each other and Ember shuddered. She was thankful that after her incident with Lyra, she had not run into any of them anymore.

"Esteemed students, faculty, and staff, welcome. I stand before you today, not just as your principal, but as a fellow Lycan, proud to share this space with each and every one of you”, Mr Lou’s voice boomed throughout the hall, loud and authoritative. The hall fell silent as he spoke. Nobody dared to make a sound.

He continued, “Our academy is more than just a school; it is a sanctuary, a place where we embrace our true nature, hone our skills, and prepare for the world beyond these walls. We are a community bound by the moon's call, by the strength of our pack, and by the shared responsibility to uphold our traditions”

“In the coming year, I urge you to embrace your studies, train with diligence, and forge bonds that will last a lifetime. Remember the values we hold dear: loyalty, courage, and respect. Let us strive to be the best versions of ourselves, both in human form and in the embrace of the wolf. Together, we will build a future worthy of our legacy. Thank you."

On hearing that, a loud cheer tore through the hall and even Ember could not help but admire how brilliant Mr Lou sounded in that moment. She scoffed and tried to look unimpressed. She droned out Mr Lou’s words, focusing her mind on other things instead, like that vampire.

Was it weird that something felt familiar about him? Her mind went back to Cathy and she wondered how Cathy was doing since she left. Cathy had told her that only the vampire who took her memory would be able to give them back to her.

Again, she wondered how the hell she would find the vampire that had taken her memory. Just then, Mr Lou’s voice pulled Ember out of her head.

“Ember Doyle”, his voice boomed from the podium which he stood. “See me in my office”