Chapter 10 He´s not bad at all
“He’s not bad,” Izabella shrugged her shoulders, “but I’m not interested. I have other stuff to attend to.”
“Other stuff?” Reeba shook her jokingly by the elbow. “What’s more important than those eyes, than those lips, than those arms? Seriously, tell me.”
“I need to focus on school right now.”
Izabella opened her locker, hiding Reeba from plain view. She wasn’t looking for a sidekick or anything of the sort and she definitely wasn’t looking to get involved with a vampire, while she was searching for her lost brother, who was probably kidnapped by someone here. Why were things always so complicated?
“Who says you can’t focus on school and enjoy some Hendrik candy on the side?”
Despite what she was telling herself, Izabella liked Reeba. She seemed funny. A nice girl who wanted to help someone out but she couldn’t get close to anyone. It was too dangerous.
“Listen, that’s all fine and dandy but I gotta head to my next class.”
“What do you have?” Reeba rushed after her. “Is it chemistry?”
“Mhm,” Izabella nodded, walking without even looking at her.
“Great! We can go there together!”
Whether she wanted her there or not, Reeba wouldn’t leave her side. She sat next to her during chemistry class and then during every subsequent class that week that they shared together. Somehow, fate would have it that their lockers were next to each other and Izabella knew she wouldn’t be able to shake her off that easily.
Then, she started thinking, maybe having someone by her side wouldn’t be so bad. Might come in handy if worse comes to worst. She didn’t know what to expect. So, maybe, just maybe, she could have a friend in this place full of enemies, at least until it was time to lay her cards on the table and reveal her true identity. What would happen later… well, she’d cross that bridge when she got to it.
After biology class was finished, Izabella knew that Reeba wanted to hang out but she just wasn’t up for it. She wanted to snoop a little around their botanical garden and see what kind of plants they had. Actually, she wanted to see what she could use in case she needed to fight any of these vampires, who outnumbered her about a million to one. She never had such bad odds before, so she knew that she needed any help she could get.
She had dinner at the cafeteria. It was some of the worst foods she’d ever tried but she couldn’t complain. She needed sustenance and couldn’t be picky about either food or drink. She waited a little longer, until she was sure that most of the students were out of the main building and either back in their dorm rooms or just out in the main yard. She hoped no one would be as keen as she was to go to the botanical garden after school hours.
The botanical garden was located in the far west part of the main building. There was no key, it was constantly kept open and Izabella was grateful for this little favor. At least she didn’t have to break in there to find out what she needed to know. She went in and, immediately, became impressed by the size of the garden and the number of plant species it contained. It was all arranged neatly, carefully, with little clusters of similar looking flowers and herbs growing cozily next to each other. Big plants with huge leaves hung from the ceiling, ivy hung to the walls, climbing all the way up to the window sill and a few benches were scattered around the place, allowing visitors to enjoy the view while resting.
To the left, there was a door. It was heavy, with only a small window of about four
inches and seemed to be locked. There was a red sticker on it but it didn’t really say anything. Izabella approached it, pressing on the door handle. It wouldn’t budge. She pressed her face against the cold glass, trying to see inside but all she could see was more greenery. She didn’t really recognize any of the flowers or plants inside. Not that she expected herself to.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” someone told her and she immediately turned around.
“Why?” she asked, now facing a boy slightly taller than she was, wearing a pair of thick rimmed glasses.
His hair was pushed to the side, in a mild pompadour style and it occasionally fell over his square, black glasses.
“Those are the forbidden plants,” he explained, eyeing the door behind her.
“Forbidden plants?” she repeated.
“You know, plants that can harm us?” he explained, but it was more of a question than a statement.
“Like what?” she asked, pretending not to know which plants those were.
Obviously, this guy knew more than she did, so she might be able to squeeze him for some more info if she played the role of a lost little girl who had no idea what was going on. Guys usually fell for that crap.
“Well, they keep roses there, blackthorn, buckthorn and hawthorn, as well. Holly and Juniper. Also, wolfs bane and rowan,” he nodded importantly as he spoke.
As she listened to him, she realized, he was cute, in a nerdy kinda way. She always liked intelligent guys and preferred them to jocks.
“Then, I better not go in,” she moved back, raising her hands in a mock surrender gesture.
“Well, you won’t die,” he shrugged his shoulders, “you’d just be in a lot of pain.”
“No, thanks,” she shook her head.
Actually, Izabella knew of several combinations which would make those plants, not only painful, but lethal, to vampires, but this was no time for such conversations. Still, it was useful to know that she could sew in a blackthorn plant in her clothing when she went to see Dante. Also, she could make a stake from hawthorn, while carrying a bunch of rose petals in her pocket. In addition, a rowan cross couldn’t hurt, either.
“So, what are you doing here?” he asked her.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she snapped back, feeling attacked.
Or was it just her general state nowadays? She wasn’t sure anymore.
“Whoa there, easy,” he pulled back. “Don’t feel attacked. I’m just asking.”
Izabella felt bad. He was right. It was only a question but she’d been feeling on edge
ever since she got here and for the right reasons, too. She was all alone on enemy grounds and she couldn’t let her guard down, not even for one second. Dante could be watching, he could make his move at any second. Maybe what she was told, that he wasn’t here, wasn’t really the truth. She couldn’t know anything for sure right now. The only thing she could rely on were her own two eyes.
“Sorry,” she murmured, “ever since I got here, I haven’t been able to rest properly,” she handed him the first excuse she could think of.
“New place?” he wondered.
“Everything,” she continued, remembering her made up origin story, “ever since my whole clan was wiped out, I can’t relax. I’m constantly on edge, I feel like they’re after me all the time.”
As she was talking, she felt like it wasn’t all made up, as if a part of it was really true. She felt like vampires were her enemies, always trying to kill her and her brother. Only now, she’d switched roles, but that same fear, that same threat was still there, almost palpable, never leaving her side.
“I know what you mean,” he nodded, sitting down on a little bench which was located right behind them.
Not even realizing why, she felt a need to sit next to him. So, she did.
“I know what it’s like to lose everyone you ever loved,” he told her “but you’re safe here with all of us. No one will hurt you here.”
She looked down, and bit her lower lip. If he only knew what he was saying, if he knew who she was… he wouldn’t be so understanding.