LIRA: Book I

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The Trouble Brewing

They were having their lunch the following day when Mari shared some disturbing news with Lira, Yumi and Ian. In a hushed tone she said, "I was in the building of the Slayer Division, when I heard something awful happened last night."

"What were you doing there by the way?" Lira asked suspiciously.

"I wasn't there to see Matt if that's what you're thinking. Miss Amara asked me to help her with some boxes of papers to bring there. She is, after all, the head of the Training Department. So I was on my way out when I heard something alarming that I couldn't help but to eavesdrop a little." They huddled closer. "You know last night, after the raid? They found a dead body a few yards away from that old shack. I heard the victim's neck looked as if it was bitten by a wild animal, and the victim's blood was totally sucked out dry. But they don't know if it was a vampire attack or something else, 'cause they said vampire marks were not like what they found last night."

"That's awful," Yumi said with a grimace.

"And the worst part is? She was our upperclassmen," Mari said gravely.

The three sucked in their breath, fully surprised that an incident like that happened to one of the students in the academy.

"Do the other students know about this?" Lira asked.

"No. The school decided to keep things hush-hush for now," Mari answered. "They said it wasn't the first time someone has been killed. But this one spooked everyone out with the way the girl was brutally killed. So they crossed out the possibility that it was a vampire attack."

"I guess it means we need to be extra careful from now on," Ian said, then looked at the girls seriously. "That means no more nightly strolls at creepy old buildings and unknown places."

"Yes sir!" the three joked in unison.

Later that evening, Lira was seated on one of the settee in the great hall. Yumi and Mari were sitting on the floor on one corner, wearing serious looking faces as they scribbled something on a piece of paper. She was absent-mindedly staring at the fire on the hearth when Lavinia and her cronies stood before her. Lira lifted her head to look at them. "Yes?"

"You're not even pretty," one girl remarked, eyeing her face. "Don't you need a license to be that ugly?"

Another girl tugged a fistful of Lira's hair, causing her to grimace with pain. "Your hair hasn't even met a hair iron in its entire life."

"And you always wear those rags," a third girl remarked, assessing Lira's moss green long skirt.

"So why on earth would Nicholas Imperial even spare you his precious time?" Lavinia asked scathingly. She made a step forward towards Lira and leaned closer. "What did you do? Whored yourself and bartered your blood for a little attention?"

Lira remained seated, looking stunned. What was Lavinia's problem now?

Clara appeared beside Lavinia and lightly tugged her arm. "That's enough Lavinia. You shouldn't even be saying those things," Clara said softly.

Lavinia jerked her arm away from Clara's grasp. "Oh, stop being Miss Goody two shoes, Clarisse. Why do you even take her side?"

"Hey! Why are you harassing our friend?" Lira heard Mari said. She caught a glimpse of Lavinia's group blocking Mari and Yumi from approaching her.

Lavinia glanced at Mari then back at Lira. "Oh good. What a fitting friendship: a whore and a slut." She looked at Yumi and sneered. "And the town harlot. You really do fit in with the two."