Half Blood Rising

Lychakiv Cemetery had never been a frightening place for me, but tonight, I was filled with anxiety as I headed in that direction. Apparently, all sorts of demons wandered around the place. Most supernaturals didn’t believe they existed, that they were just tales. Melody was convinced that she’d seen one during the Sabbath in midsummer.

My stomach was in knots as I walked through the city. The tiny voice inside my head kept whispering that I’d made the right decision. The index in the library hadn’t given me any specific information, and I suspected that Moonlight Academy was set up in confidence so no one could track its location.

This set off several alarm bells inside my head, but at the same time, I didn’t care if I had to relocate; I was done in Lviv, but I was worried about Melody. She was my friend. Maybe we hadn’t had a chance to bond as well as we’d both wanted to, but I knew I was going to miss her.

Some part of me questioned my previous life choices. I wasn’t the most reasonable person, but every day I faced new challenges.

The sad truth was, my options were limited. Maybe Oldman was right: this was my chance to finally change everything—to grow as a person. I reached the Lychakiv Cemetery half an hour later. It was already dark, and there was no lighting at all as I walked through the forest. I knew I had to get to the cathedral near the burial grounds—it was where most supernaturals met. I had my knives with me, and everything else I’d ever owned, which fit inside one plastic bag—yeah, pretty pathetic.

At times when I had some extra cash, I’d treated myself with a new pair of jeans. The winter had always been the worst for me, especially when I had to sleep outside. It must have been a learned behaviour, because half of my genes were still human, and somehow, I just knew. I didn’t need my memories to know it was freaking cold and I had to bundle up. It was the one human gene I could have done without.

The silence was ringing in my ears as I continued walking. Magic drifted around, and I smelled sage. I was aware of my surroundings, aware of the dead humans that were still haunting these parts of the city. Melody was a strong believer of life on the other side, and she always told me that it had nothing to do with the fact that she was a witch. My heart was beating a bit faster than it normally did. I just had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t signed anything yet, but I knew that I was more than ready to begin this new chapter of my life.

I walked up to the large chapel—there were several of these around the cemetery, normally built near the memorials. This site was historically significant, and a lot of people travelled from around the world just to visit it. I needed to avoid the humans—the guards were undoubtedly walking around, and I couldn’t afford to be spotted. Trespassing on private land could get me arrested. I was good at detecting humans nearby: their energies were different, calmer, and less absorbing. The door to the chapel was slightly ajar, which meant that someone was already inside, possibly Oldman.

I bit my bottom lip and entered the dimly lit space, while my heart was jackhammering inside my chest. It was nice and cool inside, and there were several candles burning near the altar. Someone stood inside, another supernatural, and most likely a vampire. He was dressed in a white shirt and dark pants.

I instantly recognised that he was a pure-blooded creature, possibly an ancient, and that made me a bit nervous. Supernatural presence typically didn’t affect me, but right now something odd was happening to my body. Part of me, the blood in my veins, began vibrating as I grew closer to him.

“I was wondering if you were going to show.” His voice echoed throughout the chapel. “Madame Oldman truly believes you will be a good fit for our school.” I recognised that voice—the thick Scottish accent. When he turned around, my heart kicked against my ribcage.

This was unbelievable. He was the same vampire I’d bumped into at the club, the same one who had been there to meet up with the mages who were now after me. This was just so typical. He must have recognised me, too, because he frowned as I approached him.

was even better looking. Heat rushed to my core, and my pulse skyrocketed. My heart kept pounding way too fast, and he was no doubt aware of it. His eyes moved from my toes, and upwards to my face—he was studying my dirty, torn clothes, and my tangled hair. Whatever, I wasn’t supposed to care. After all, I’d lived on the streets for years, and this was only a formality. I just wasn’t expecting

get on with this, mate. My legs are aching, and I’m here,” I snapped at

hell was wrong with me? I didn’t have to bark like a dog. The corner of his lips turned into a mocking smile. He ran his eyes over me once again, sending a shiver racing down my

a bit light-headed. I needed to remember that he was called out to the club by the mages. Why did lady Oldman send him here? Was she part of

too bad she chose another commoner—another street creature,”

throat. My fist was itching to do so. He was just an arrogant arsehole who thought he was

supernaturals than you’ve most likely ever seen, so cut the crap and take me wherever it is you’re supposed to,” I ordered him, getting aggravated and definitely barking once again. First impressions always counted, and I’d already burnt my bridge with

bored and a bit curious, if I was

eyes were mastering, and he was staring at me intensely. A wave of heat shattered me again. I had absolutely no idea what was happening inside me, but the pull was there. I couldn’t bloody deny it, even if I wanted to—I was attracted to that

to reality. I didn’t want to think that the vibrating pulsations inside my body were significant in any way. He was most likely using his glamour to affect me; it was the only

on his part. “If you have nothing nice to say, then keep your damn mouth shut. Apparently, I was

pupils dilated and he glanced at my cracked lips. I

half-vampire mixed with the genes of another creature?” he said, tilting his head to the side. “But that’s impossible. You wouldn’t be able to live through that kind of transformation—no one can.” He was right and wrong. Obviously, I had survived,

shocked I hadn’t exploded already. He was getting on my nerves, under my

didn’t have a chance to react. The pretty boy was fast. A split second later, I sensed that his fangs had descended, and they were only inches from my skin. Panic struck me for a moment, but then I felt a thrill of

but I quickly recovered from the initial shock. I managed to wrap my leg around his and then pulled my body forward. He didn’t go down with the impact I’d expected, but then I held one of my knives at the edge of

and sweat ran down my

this world,” I snapped, saying more than I’d intended to. All right, it was true: I’d always had a big mouth

grab my free arm, and my back slammed to the floor. The pretty boy was stronger than me, and now he was showing off. He had me pinned down

Yet again, this had never happened to me before. He was smirking at me, and I was fuming. When I glanced towards the entrance, there was another creature standing there. I sensed he was a warlock—a very powerful one. They had different sets of skills than mages, but they were apparently more

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