The rest of the day felt like it went by in a blur, and I found I wasn’t able to pay much attention to the things the twins were showing me. And the next few days were spent in the same manner. This place seemed to have everything you could ever want for in life; clothing centers, food, swimming, dancing, horseback riding, a giant library, even an arcade. The place felt like a giant gothic-victorian themed mall, complete with vampire attractions. It was all still so very surreal, like I’m still in an ongoing dream.

My announcement had been made, too, and now the whole castle knew who I was. Eyes of all types and colors followed me everywhere I went; people began to be wary of me, some even purposefully stepping out of my way or avoiding my path. The girls were trying to stay positive about it but I could tell they were worried. Whispers and murmurs of questions echoed in the halls, things that people wanted to say but didn’t have the courage to face me directly. If it honestly weren’t for Rose and Co., I don’t know how I would take the sudden ostracization.

And yet somehow, two weeks had already gone by without my realizing it.

Alice and Rose sat with me at the desk in the library, going over an expansive catalog of courses offered here, the Day and Night Academy, as I learned the organization was called. Or the DNA, which Claire found amusing for some reason. Courses were divided between the two sides of the castle: the Day Wing, which is where humans reside and attended courses relating to their needs and interests, and the Night Wing, where the vampires live and have their own types of classes and setups in addition to where the COV does all of their meetings and things. Both species were allowed to take classes from either wings, but it was set up in this manner to help keep the peace and safety between the two. After that meeting I was given a letter, delivered right to my door, instructing me to submit time slots for my chosen classes (if any), and that I would need to choose a time period between 4pm and 10pm for the mandatory Bride classes.

I sighed and leaned back. “I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about anything like this till the end of next summer,” I complained.

“Well, remember you don’t have to choose anything,” Rose reminded.

“Except the Bride class thing.”

“Well, yeah.”

I looked down at the weekly scheduling paper, the indentions from many eraser marks and faded graphite, and then at the list of both Rose’s and Alice’s suggestions while they continued to comb through their booklets for what they think I’d be interested in. A thought crossed my mind.

“Hey, I can pretty much sign up for these at any time, right?” I asked.

“You can,” Rose said, “but there’s a limit to some of the classes due to capacity and whatnot, so there’s a period every start of the season where everyone is encouraged to rework or re-evaluate their classes, teachers and students alike.”

“So it’s usually better to make sure you do that then, if you want to make sure you’re in,” Alice added.

I nodded in thought. A very soft chime sounded through the library, and the girls looked towards the grandfather clock with a start.

“Ah, we better get going,” Alice said. “Today’s the double set of Histories, they’re showing a movie this time.”

“I think I’ll stay here and think a little bit longer,” I said. “I don’t want to keep putting it off.” And I don’t want to give them reason to decide for me, I thought bitterly to myself.

They nodded and said their see-ya-laters, and then I was left in the quiet silence of the library.

I leaned back in the chair, thinking. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the desire to run away still, to try to go home. I knew it was impossible, but...maybe I should still try. Maybe I should at least have a plan. I looked at the papers again, and started placing time slot ideas. Maybe...if I give myself enough time, and really got to know this place...I might find a way out. Or maybe find a loophole in the whole Bride contract thing.

A sudden idea popped into my head, and I looked up and around. This library was huge, with hundreds of shelves and cases, at least three tiers of floors, with books from every age and era. Hardly anyone was in here now, just a bored older vampire lady in a polkadot button up, and a couple of humans quietly reading. The second and top floors had their own categories and were so old they were hand-bound with leather and written on parchment.

I got up and wandered my way up to them, feeling a little like I should have no business being here. I could feel the librarian at the front desk, the bored-looking vampire, quietly glance my way when the spiral stairs creaked; something tells me almost no one ever goes up here. After a few minutes of trying to make sense of how these books were ordered, I heard a soft woosh behind me and a slightly shrill voice that made me jump.

“Are you looking for something specific dearie?” the librarian vampire asked, her lavender eyes full of mild suspicion.

“Uh, no, sorry,” I replied nervously. “I was just curious.”

She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow, and then gazed solemnly at the rows and columns of tomes around us. “Some of these books are thousands of years old, each one a priceless copy that would be incredibly difficult to replace. You’re still, of course, welcome to browse them, but please,” she gave me an icy stare. “handle them with utmost care.”

I swallowed and promised, and she leapt backwards over the railing back to the floor below. Despite the lack of forbidding me from looking, I felt the need to hurry along. So instead I proceeded to gather my things and return to my room.

The schedule still needed to be submitted, so I clicked on a writing desk lamp, sat down, and got to work.

A hour later the sun had set completely, and my weekly itinerary was finished. For the sake of having something with all my dorm-mates I deciding to keep a slot for dancing, so once a week I would have that and the Horse Care and Management class, a few times a week some normal school classes like a math and history(which actually sounded interesting since it was being taught by someone who experienced it), and also signed up for a kickboxing and cooking class every other week because they sounded fun and potentially useful. And then, twice a week as instructed, the final slots for the Bride training classes at 8:45pm. I looked over the list once more, checking to make sure the time slots I wrote down were the correct ones, and felt satisfied with the layout. Friday afternoons would be free, as would be the weekend, and Tuesdays except for the Bride class in the evening. The rest of the days had one or two classes scheduled with plenty of open time throughout the day.

I leaned back and stretched, thinking about the library now, and those old books. I wonder what secrets they hold, what kind of histories they might tell. Maybe they might have my way out of this bizarre mess.

And maybe...maybe no one has ever even tried to find a way to break the bond of Brides, because it was never the desire of either party to do so. Dmitri did say that this had never happened in recorded history. But...what if it had? What if the answer to my problem--Zain’s problem, everyone’s problem, lies in one of those old books?

That question continued to haunt me in the following days as I waited for the submission to be processed. For the time being I was encouraged to continue tagging along with the girls, save for my first training class as a Bride. Since it was an evening class AND in the Night Wing, I would have to travel to it myself.

Claire offered to go with me, as did everyone else too, but they all had done enough for me already, and I wanted to take this opportunity, too, to observe the how the Night Wing would operate.

The evening was cooling off into a quiet summer hum, the halls echoing eerily as I followed the map I had. There was a different kind of tension in the air, and the sensations of many eyes watching me, following me. I never saw anyone, though, only the portraits that lined the dimly lit hallways. It seemed like the further and further I went into the Night Wing the darker it got.

As I turned a corner I could hear the faint sounds of conversation in the distance. Hoping it was where I needed to go I followed it. Up ahead a door was open, a soft orange light casting outward from it, and with a sigh of relief I saw a sign that read “Bride Training Course.” The relief, however, was short lived, as after I walked inside I realized I had been ignoring that pulling sensation that had been steadily growing stronger.

Zain sat at a table inside, looking irritated as usual and somewhat out of place. There were only six other people here, three human and vampire pairs. They all looked relatively young, but not nearly as young as Zain and I did. At the front of the room stood a vampire that somehow looked like an old man in a twenty-something body. His eyes were glazed silver over a subtle tone of amber, his skin almost stoney grey yet firm, his hair old-fashioned and short. Wrinkles filled his face as he smiled towards me.

“Good evening young Miss,” he called, his voice warm with a little bit of crackle to it. If ever a person looked non-human, this guy was definitely suspicious. Everyone’s eyes turned my way soon as he addressed me, including Zain’s. “We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival, welcome! Please, take a seat.” He gestured towards Zain, and I realized we were expected to partner up. This was going to be a long class.

About time you arrived, I heard his grumpy voice say as I came over. I shot him a look of dismay but said nothing in retort, sitting down silently and nervously. The vampire instructor, Mr. Miles, was beginning to outline his key points to this lesson on the marker board at the front. My chest began to thud as a burning, squeezing sensation began to radiate out from it. I clenched and unclenched my fingers, feeling unsure and scared of some unknown issue.

Zain scoffed beside me. “Will you cut that out?” he hissed in a low voice, his expression under duress. “There is nothing to get worked up over.”

“As if I can help it,” I muttered back, feeling irritated now myself. What, does he expect me to just...have complete control over my feelings?

That would be helpful, I heard his voice again.

Control your own feelings, you jerk, and stay out of my head! I thought back at him angrily, earning a cold and threatening glare.

Behind us a couple of girls giggled, a vampire and human pair, as they whispered gleefully and eyed the two of us. Zain directed his gaze towards them and they quieted immediately, but with amusement still in their eyes.

“Alright!” Mr. Miles called cheerfully to attention. “Now, due to recent circumstances we’ve added new time slots for this course to account for our most recent Bride’s and Bride candidates. We’ll be starting with the beginning, so for those of you who are already experienced,” at this the female couple and another couple chuckled in amusement, “please consider this a refresher course. Now--!”

I tried my best to pay attention, not having the forethought to bring any note-taking utensils and feeling way too embarrassed to ask, since no one else felt the need to either.

"First and foremost for the Brides to understand is, though you may not feel different or appear different, once your vampire performs what we call 'The First Bite' you are no longer human. Your bodies will now react differently to some things you’ve been used to, such as certain medicines no longer working, and the bite of any vampire no longer runs the risk of marking you as theirs. Vampires, you will discover, if you have fed before, than any and all other blood will taste vile and might even in some capacities make you ill. This is part of the contract you have made-or will make- with your chosen Bride. You cannot gain sustenance anymore from other sources, and you must learn now to rely on your partner. They are your pillar of strength, in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. The health of your Bride is now the health of you, so you would do well to learn how to care for them."

Mr. Miles continued on explaining the changes both the vampires and the Bride can to expect to occur. The "no longer human" part had sent me reeling with shock, and it was hard to keep up with the sudden onslaught of information thrown out in the same manner as a health class lecture. What I did catch at least was that, over time, I was expected to find my sleeping habits changing to suit the Zain's, as well as my body increasing blood production to account for the regular losses that will occur. Also I get to live forever, even if "my vampire" dies as some point. I didn’t know exactly what it would all mean, or how I would experience it, but it was more terrifying than learning about puberty had been.

I didn’t hear a snide remark from Zain, even though in the back of my mind I was expecting it. My insides were in turmoil. I wasn’t ready for this, I wasn’t expecting...this. So much of my life had been taken away from me, so many choices now being replaced against my will. The instructors voice faded away as my attention focused out and a sinking, debilitating feeling began to weigh me down. It just...didn’t feel real.

Soon as class was dismissed I walked out listlessly and feeling weirdly numb. Everyone else walked even further into the Night Wing as my feet began to take me back to the Day Wing. I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to think about anything right now.

“Hey,” I heard a voice call, making me jump in fright and spin around.