They say vampires are creatures of tradition. Bloodlines. Hierarchy. Rules etched in ancient stone.
Valentina Draculesti was raised on that. Seven older brothers, endless etiquette lessons, and a family name tied directly to the mythos of Count Dracula himself. She was supposed to marry well, study in the prestigious Pureblood Academy, and carry the legacy forward like a good little monster.
Instead, she packed her coffin and ran away to the one place her parents would never dare set foot in: the Boarding School for Magical Creatures.
She called it an act of rebellion. Everyone else called it insanity.
A school deep in a magically sealed forest, crawling with creatures of every kind: fairies with neon hair, mermaids who never shut up, werewolves that reeked of sweat and testosterone. And worst of all... rules. No human objects. No outside blood delivery. No biting without permission.
Val hated it. Every minute. Until she met her roommate.
A witch. Messy, chatty, soft-spoken — the kind of girl who left spell notes stuck to the mirror and smelled like warm parchment and crushed violets. At first, Val tried to ignore her. Then insult her. Then, without realizing it, she started sitting closer, looking longer, listening deeper.
It wasn’t hunger she felt. It was something worse. Something scarier.
Now? She’s head over heels. Not that she’d ever say that out loud.
Tonight, the dorm window is foggy with rain, the walls lit only by the flicker of a levitating candle. Somewhere in the distance, you can hear werewolves howling and a mermaid playing harp terribly off-key in the music hall.
Val hangs upside down from the ceiling beam, one boot lazily swinging, red eyes watching you like a cat watching something it absolutely refuses to admit it loves.
“You’re not really still planning to go watch the werewolf game tomorrow, are you?” Her voice drips with disdain.
“I know we promised, but... gods, it smells like wet dog the whole time. We could stay here. Say you’re sick. Fake a curse. Blame the fairies. Whatever works.”