Chapter 2: First Burn

On his way to campus, Nos took the long route, hoping to avoid Orion and his crew. The eastside entrance featured rows of marble statues, lining both sides, of key vampire figures from the past, including a founder who happened to be Nos’s ancestor, a Neroli. The art professor frequently sent students there to study and write papers on the sculptures. Finding the area empty was a rare stroke of luck.

At the very least, he hadn't run into any humans during his commute.

"Nosferatu? No way!" Emon McMillan, one of Orion’s favorite sidekicks, yelled as Nos walked into his first class and grabbed his usual seat.

He instantly regretted not keeping his helmet on. He’d hoped the Change would make him feel more confident, but nope. He just kept his head down to dodge more crap from them.

"For the umpteenth time, that's not my name," Nos corrected through clenched teeth.

"Could have fooled me," Orion said, his lilting tone one that could have been pleasant had it not been so condescending.

Nos tensed up as the copper-haired vampire leaned against his desk, looking down at him. For a brief moment, Nos wished he could detect some kind of odor coming from the redhead. But the vampire in front of him had no scent at all.

"My, how death becomes you," the vampire mused aloud when orange eyes glared at him. "No longer the ugliest or smelliest of the lot now, are you?"

Nos caught himself reaching for glasses he didn’t even have anymore. He cursed under his breath, tapped his temple, and sighed.

"Can we not do this tonight?" Nos said, trying to keep his cool.

Nos definitely didn’t expect Orion to suddenly grab him by the hair and stare at his face.

"I get to decide whether I've had my fill of playing with you, you undersized mongrel." The redhead insisted before he suddenly let go. "Don't make me ruin that charming new face of yours, and keep your mouth shut."

Despite the situation, Nos managed to hold back any insults. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief, not because Orion seemed to be backing off for the moment, but because throughout their entire interaction, his marking hadn't burned at all.

Thank the stars for small mercies.

Nos took his time packing up and heading to his next class. Orion and his crew whispered and snickered, but for once, they didn’t come after him. He glanced at the redhead. Orion just looked even more smug. If they tried anything, at least now Nos could actually put up a fight. Still, it was weird how quiet they were being.

In his next class, Nos spotted Blake frowning hard as he stabbed a period so deep into his notebook, he probably tore through a few pages. Hopefully Blake didn’t need those.

"Everything alright?" Nos asked as he sat beside him. Their proximity didn’t trigger a reaction from his marking, and he wasn’t sure whether to feel reassured or disappointed.

"These last few weeks have been…" Blake looked up and did a double take at Nos. "Oh, shit, you Changed! Congrats, man!"

"Not just that," Nos said, lifting his shirt to show off the mark on his hip. "My fated match is around here somewhere. And it’s definitely not Orion."

"Such luck," Blake murmured.

"Wait, you aren't Orion's match, by any chance, are you?"

"No, thank the stars," Blake said quickly, pointing his pen at Nos’s hip. "Has yours started burning yet?"

"Not yet," Nos said.

Just as Nos was about to ask more, Professor Hemingway walked in. Nos scratched his head and faced forward. He’d have to chase Blake down at supper to swap scar stories.

"Today, we'll be welcoming the grandees of the multicultural meet, Saffron of the succubi, and Asuka of the ame-onnatachi," Hemingway introduced as he waved the women in.

Saffron was a tall woman with a pear figure, wider hips, and a smaller chest. Her sleeveless shirt and pants were nearly skintight, but Nos imagined her clothes were modest compared to what they'd wear back home. She had long, pointed ears just like his dad, but there the similarities ended. Saffron's horns were on full display, twisted and angled like an eland's. Her webbed wings were small but outstretched. Her tail hung behind her, the pointed tip reaching her ankles.

"Go on," Saffron instructed as she flipped her mango colored hair and turned around in a slow circle. "Take it in. To those of you who’ve never seen a succubus or ame-onna, this is what we look like."

They'd been told that longer succubus and incubus tails were a testament to how active they were in bed, and the horn length and thickness defined their stamina. But there was no extensive documentation to prove it. Nos wondered why his dad kept his horns, wings, and tail hidden.

All the supernaturals could hide their features with glamour, kind of like the fey, just an invisible disguise for humans. Maybe Luc kept his hidden all the time because he ran errands in the human side of town. Nos hoped it wasn’t because he was ashamed, or that his mother ever asked him to. Horns, tails, and wings might freak out humans, but vampires wouldn’t care. No one at the mansion would ever think Luc looked evil.

In fact, Nos felt his dad looked great for his age. Grandee Saffron looked even better for her age, but Nos had a feeling she was even older.

"N-Nice to meet you all," Asuka stated. She’d slipped in all shy and hunched, her one visible eye darting everywhere. The other was hidden by a curtain of black hair down to her waist. She wore a pale blue robe that covered everything.

Asuka squeaked when Saffron slung an arm over her shoulders.

"It’s nice to see so many gorgeous young faces," Saffron said. "I’m Saffron, and this is my fated match, Asuka. We met at a multicultural meet in Japan and decided to keep the tradition going, helping organize these meets all over. Right, babe?"

Asuka nodded, giving a crooked but genuine smile. "P-please check," she squeaked, but Saffron jumped in before she could finish.

"What she’s trying to say is, we’re hitting every classroom with the same message," Saffron said. "Go home and check for your fated markings. Sometimes they show up as an itch, and you might not even notice."

"M-mirrors, Saffy," Asuka whispered, "they can’t see themselves in mirrors."

"Right! Forgot that part," Saffron said with a sigh. "If you think you’ve got an itchy spot on your back, ask someone else to check for a marking. Our munchkins are settling into the hotel, but it’s close enough for those marks to have popped up by now."

The classroom instantly blew up with excited chatter.

"No freaking way!"

"Wait, is this whole meet just for matchmaking?"

“I have one.”

“I’ve been itching all morning!” 

"What if we don't have any markings manifest?" Jess asked louder than her peers.

Nos totally got it. Not long ago, he’d been worried his own vampire genes wouldn’t show up. Jess had Changed two years before everyone else, so he didn’t blame her for stressing out about not seeing her own marking.

"That’s a great question-" Saffron started, but Asuka put a hand on her arm. Saffron shot her an indulgent smile and let her take over.

"If your marking still hasn’t shown up after this meet, you’re welcome to come to the next one in a different region," Asuka said, sounding way more confident now. "Seniors can even travel with us after graduation if you want."

"That is an excellent offer," Hemingway said with conviction. "Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Sign up for the next multicultural meet if your marking has yet to manifest."

"My, how passionate," Saffron purred in response.

"I met my match while on a business trip. She was unable to bear children by then," Hemingway confided. "While we didn't mind adopting, we wish we had met sooner."

"Please take that into consideration!" Asuka implored the class. "Your relationship can be at your pace. But it's much better to find your match as soon as you can."

Nos caught Saffron whispering something in Asuka’s ear that instantly turned her face bright red. Then they waved goodbye and left for the next class, and the room got even louder. Nos hadn’t realized how many of his classmates were worried about finding their matches too.

Then again, dhampirs weren’t like the purebred vampires, who took everything slow and lived forever. A dhampir’s life was five times as long as a human’s, not even close to immortal. No wonder they were anxious if it took too long to find their match.

Hemingway seemed content to let the chatter continue for a while longer. He began organizing paperwork at his desk and smiled sadly to himself.

Nos was starting to wonder if his new sharper vision was a blessing or a curse, with how much detail he was taking in than before. A glance to his side showed Blake appearing downright depressed. Was he worried about being matched to one of the visitors?

"Now that you've settled down and know why I have been teaching you about their cultures tonight," Hemingway drew their attention back to the front of the classroom. "I want to remind you to be patient and keep an open mind. It's far too easy to give up finding a middle ground and compromise when it comes to stark differences. Physical possessions and location mean nothing compared to the unity you share with actual people."

"Didn't realize we were getting a sermon along with our lesson today," Blake muttered defiantly under his breath.

But Nos heard it, and it shocked him. The blond wasn't acting like himself at all that night. He waited until their class was over before reaching out one more time.

"Hey Blake, can I sit with you in the cafeteria? You gonna eat?" Nos asked him.

Blake sighed. "Might as well try drowning my sorrows in food," he said.

"Sorrows?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll live."

But Nos was already worried.

After class, the professor called Nos and Blake over before they could head to the cafeteria.

“Neroli,” Hemingway greeted. “While a bit delayed, I wanted to congratulate you on your Change. As for you, Lloyd, are you uncomfortable with the idea of the visiting groups?”

“What?” Blake retorted. “No, they’re not what has me in a bad mood, it’s got nothing to do with them.”

Hemingway nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Blake’s face went from annoyed to embarrassed, then a little sad. “Thanks, prof, but there’s nothing anyone can do. I’ll figure it out,” he said.

“Just reach out if you need anything while you’re on campus,” Hemingway said. “Especially if anything happens that could make our visitors feel unwelcome.”

Both Nos and Blake nodded and headed for the cafeteria.

"So, how’s the Change treating you?" Blake asked as they walked.

"Bloodlust sucks," Nos said. "Regular food tastes weird, too."

"It gets better after a week or so," Blake said as they got in line. "At least, that’s how it was for me."

Nos grabbed two trays and handed one to Blake, who winced and rubbed his shoulder, looking kind of miserable.

"You okay?" Nos asked.

"Only physically," Blake muttered.

That only confused Nos more. He barely remembered his dad’s advice about acidity in time to order spicy chili with tomatoes. It’d probably taste bland, but it was the best shot he had. Once their trays were loaded up, they found an empty table and sat down.

"So, what’s got you so down?" Nos asked.

"Well, see-"

Just then, Orion sauntered over with his group, each vampire with a dazed human companion. "Still eating human food, Nos? You could have something more decadent."