That morning, the History of Ordovia class felt like a real struggle for Elara.
After everything that had happened the night before, she found it hard to focus on the blackboard up front, where the teacher had begun explaining the early history of Ordovia in a monotone voice that was meant to be soothing but only made her mind wander even more.
She only caught snippets of the explanation.
Long before kingdoms and clans had territorial boundaries as they do today, various races lived in small, nomadic groups scattered across the land.
Vampires were among the first races to build an organized civilization, and so Valthera grew into the oldest vampire kingdom still standing today.
“Valthera’s the one that–” Elara whispered to Kael beside her, but she never got to finish the sentence.
Kael was already nodding, answering a question she hadn’t even managed to ask.
Meanwhile, the werewolves created their own clans and refused to obey the vampire kingdom’s rule, while humans built settlements and trade networks that allowed them to survive between two far more powerful supernatural races.
Elara listened, stealing glances at Kael now and then.
For the first time, she began to realize that Ordovia wasn’t just a place teeming with vampires and werewolves, as she had always imagined.
This world had a history far older than she was, with relationships between races that had developed over hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years.
When the topic turned to the rise of the major clans, the teacher mentioned several names that sounded unfamiliar to Elara–except for one: Rhaen.
That name immediately made some students turn their heads, while Kael stayed calm, as if the topic of his own clan wasn’t that interesting to hear about.
The teacher explained that no clan had always been at the top from the very beginning, including Rhaen.
Their power was built through generations of conflict and territorial battles.
As an example, he mentioned Eryndres, one of the largest and most respected werewolf clans of its time, before it eventually vanished from the historical record without a clear trace.
Elara found herself wondering how a clan that powerful could just disappear, but before the question could leave her lips, her gaze snagged on a vampire girl seated across the room.
The girl’s expression turned cold the moment she noticed Elara watching her, as if the mere presence of a human in the room was enough to disturb her peace.
Elara, who didn’t recognize her, gently nudged Kael’s arm.
“Who is she?” she whispered.
Kael followed Elara’s gaze and snorted lazily.
“Serise from House of Blackthorn.”
“A royal?”
“You could say that.”
“She doesn’t like me,” Elara murmured.
Kael leaned in, breathing the words right against her ear.
“Nobody here likes you.”
Elara nodded, taking it in stride.
She already knew that, though she still wondered what made these creatures hate her so much when they didn’t even know her at all.
“You don’t like me either?”
The question went unanswered because the teacher spoke first before Kael could reply.
“For the next class, I want you to split into groups and find out about the history that isn’t written in this book.” The teacher turned toward Elara and Kael’s desks, a smile spreading across his face.
“Rhaen, do you know why I’m giving you this assignment?”
Kael gave a nod before answering.
“Because history is written only by the winners, and most of it never makes it into this thick book.” He lifted the textbook in his hand, angling the cover into view: History of Ordovia.
“Exactly right.” The teacher swept his gaze across the room one last time.
“See you all next class.”
Class ended, and students scattered toward the door in a rush. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Elara was still stuffing the heavy textbook into her bag when Kael went ahead and dropped his own books in there too.
“Don’t you want to bring your own bag?”
“Why bring two when one’ll do?” Kael said, flat as ever.
A curse sat right on the edge of Elara’s tongue, but it never made it out because Serise Blackthorn was already closing the distance toward them, and Kael stepped in front of Elara before she could react.
“What do you want, Serise?” Kael’s voice came out cold.
Serise stopped a few paces off, a mocking smile curling at her lips.
“Relax.
I’ve got no interest in getting close to that human either.”
Kael didn’t move an inch.
Elara, as usual, had to tilt her head just to catch a glimpse of what was happening–Kael’s shoulders were broad enough to swallow her entire line of sight.
“Human, I don’t know what you’re doing here,” Serise said, then let a thin smile settle on her face.
“But I find it insufferable, sharing a room with you.
You don’t belong among royals like us.”
The words should have crushed Elara’s nerves.
Instead, she just furrowed her brow, more puzzled than anything.
And before she could catch herself, the thought that was only supposed to stay in her head slipped free.
“How arrogant.”
Kael’s head turned toward her, his own brow creasing–but the faint smile tugging at his mouth told Elara he wasn’t angry.
“What did you just say?” Serise took a step forward, venom threaded through every word and every stride.
“I would love nothing more than to tear you apart right now.”
Kael, rather than tensing up or so much as blinking, simply lifted his chin.
“It’d take me less than five seconds to finish off an arrogant girl like you.
Want to try me?”
Elara couldn’t hold back her smile when Kael used the word “arrogant.” At least she wasn’t the only one who thought so.
The pale girl shot Kael a furious glare but stopped short of closing the distance.
One of the girls behind her grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
The moment they disappeared around the corner, Kael slung Elara’s heavy bag over his own shoulder.
“Real gentleman,” Elara said, one corner of her mouth curling up.
Kael snorted.
“Don’t get too full of yourself.
I just don’t want Magnus catching me making your life miserable.”
“Headmaster?” Elara asked, just to confirm what she remembered from the night before.
Kael only nodded, already pulling her by the hand to get her walking faster.
They left the History of Ordovia classroom, which was now completely empty.
As soon as they stepped into the hallway, the whispers that had become all too familiar to Elara’s ears began again–the judgmental stares from the other students they passed, the mutterings that were clearly meant to be heard.
As Kael had said, no one liked her here.
Kael led her up a grand spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever, its walls lined with old paintings and sconces that were lit even though it was still bright outside.
Elara began to pant with every step she climbed.
“Where exactly are you dragging me?” she managed between breaths.
Kael glanced down at her, a full step behind him.
“You’re pathetic.
Only a few stairs and you’re already complaining?”
With whatever air she had left, Elara fired back, “A few, you say?
Look down!” She jabbed a finger toward the ground floor, already far below them.
“It’s already been more than seven floors.
I’ve even lost count myself!”
Kael let out another weary huff.
“Here, get on.” He tipped his chin toward his own back, while his other hand held out the bag he’d been carrying.
“I’ll carry you, but you’re carrying that yourself.”
“First my legs, now you want to break my shoulder too?” Elara shot back.
She should have known–Kael was annoying, after all.
Forget the ‘gentleman’ compliment she had just given him.
“Suit yourself.
You taking the bag, or should I drag you the rest of the way to the top?” Kael wasn’t giving her room to negotiate.
Elara took the bag back with a huff.
“You’re the worst.”
Without so much as a flicker of effort, Kael hoisted her onto his back and kept climbing, as if Elara and her bag together weighed no more than a scrap of cotton.
At that pace, they reached the top floor in under three minutes.
Kael set her down in front of a heavy wooden door–the only door on that entire floor–and knocked twice.
“Come in,” a deep voice answered from inside.
“Magnus.” Kael greeted him the moment the door swung open.
Elara trailed in behind him.
Inside, she found a man built even broader than Kael, a thick beard covering his jaw and part of his cheeks, dark curls left loose to fall past his shoulders.
“Kael, Elara, come here, kids.
There’s something important I need to tell you.”
Elara followed Kael as he stepped closer.
Without meaning to, she felt her heart begin to beat faster.
She noticed the worry on Magnus’s face–and that was enough to make her even more worried about herself.
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