DANCING WITH THE DEAD

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: HEARTBREAK IS A BITTER THING

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It had been three days since Salem was taken away once again, and let me tell you, I felt like shit. I laid in bed for twenty-four hours straight staring at the ceiling. I can't explain how any of it felt. Sometimes I'd randomly get a shock of hunger or sadness, and feel like those feelings didn't belong to me, but Salem. When I closed my eyes I could visualize where he was, I could see him. Yet I laid there in bed feeling like it was all meaningless.

The day after I felt fine but when the night hours approached I began to feel an overwhelming amount of depression claw at my back. I ended up completely skipping school staring at the ceiling with an empty stomach in an oversized t-shirt and underwear. My mind was in a bad place unable to see the good in life.

Oleander's words kept echoing in my mind: "I wasn't planning on this. I guess I'll have to eliminate him."

What is he planning? I have a feeling it's going to be terrible.

A loud bang on my door sent me out of my trance but I didn't bother to answer it. Whoever was behind the door banged on it again and I rolled over onto my side and curled up into a ball.

"Indiana, open the door!" The person yelled. I recognized the voice to be Ms. Vale.

"No." I irritatedly responded and I could nearly feel her anger radiating off of her from behind the door.

"Skipping classes is against school policy! You're supposed to be a role model." She scolded while barging into my room.

"If I'm some sort of role model then you really need to raise your standards." I replied without even a hint of sarcasm.

"Just because Salem is gone, you do not get to act like this!" She scolded.

"What does Salem have to do with this? I'm just an angsty teen drowning in my fears and anxiety..." I sighed the sarcasm now very evident.

"You really don't pay attention in class, do you..." She muttered to herself.

"Was that a question or a statement?" I asked knowing full well she was going to be pissed.

"Get dressed and meet me in my office in ten. Salem's being freed today." She grumbled before leaving and slamming the door behind herself. Sometimes it feels like she acts more like a teenager than me, and she's like one hundred and something years old.

I wearily got up and changed into my uniform purposely covering my arms with my sleeves. I put my hair into a low messy bun and looked into the mirror to do my makeup when I noticed something strange about my face. It seemed different almost as if it was changing. My cheekbones were slightly higher, my lips were fuller, and my eyes were brighter than usual. It was then that I noticed my arm glowing violet.

I jumped back startled by the revelation and smacked my arm to see if it would stop. It didn't. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself completely confused by why my arm keeps doing this. Oleander called me a seductress, but what does that really mean?

I noticed the time and threw on my red converse before rushing out of the dorms and running down the hallways of Bloodborne. I made it to Ms. Vale's office five minutes late. I knocked on the door hoping she wouldn't murder me.

Moments later she called out, "Come in!" and I followed her directions.

I entered the room to see her behind her desk sorting out hundreds of papers under dim lighting. I awkwardly sat across from her and she ignored my presence for several minutes before she finally said, "I'm guessing you've figured out who you are."

"Yes." I replied quietly, "How long have you known?"

"I was good friends with Alessia. She didn't mean to get involved with the strigoi, Oleander played with her heart. Something the history books don't mention is that when Oleander was still a pureblood he was deeply in love with Alessia, but when he turned into a monster he turned off his emotions." She said solemnly.

"So this whole time you've known everything and you didn't tell me?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"I wanted you to find out for yourself." She responded flatly.

"Do you know why the mark on my arm keeps pulsating a violet color?" I asked hoping she would know the answer.

"What?" She asked obviously caught off guard by the question. "Show me your arm."

I unrolled the sleeve to see it was no longer glowing but still had the faintest violet tint to it. "Seductress..." She muttered to herself.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I exclaimed.

"Everyone?" She asked confusedly.

"Nevermind, just explain to me what the hell is on my arm." I said firmly.

"Do you know what an aphrodisiac is?" She asked me uncomfortably.

"Yeah..." I replied not wanting to have to explain it.

"Strigoi have powers... They're more powerful than the average vampire yet have many setbacks that keep them from completely annihilating us. But one of their assets is that some strigoi are born with their own specialized ability. I believe that the mark on your arm-when it pulsates-is your ability. I believe you have the ability to control others um... sexual emotions for your own better." She said stammering near the end.

Oh.

"Well alright, where's Salem?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

"He's feeding." She replied quickly becoming obsessed with paper stacking once again.

"Why didn't you feed him during his punishment?" I asked curiously.

"Salem is a well... individualized person. He doesn't need to be around others to feel happy. So it really wouldn't be a punishment to leave him alone. So we decided if he constantly feels hungry he may begin to feel remorse for punching Oliver. But we didn't think anyone would go looking for him so we never even thought about the possibility of him biting anyone." She replied.

"About that bite... You said I'm Salem's beloved and I'm bound to him for life, what does that mean?" I asked.

"In the human world did you ever hear about werewolves and mating?" She asked.

"Yeah... but werewolves aren't real." I replied confusedly.

"That's beside the point. Think of it like that, everyone only has one beloved in this world that they are destined to find. Most never find them. Since you found yours and solidified the bond you'll be able to feel his emotions, maybe even read his thoughts or feel his pain. It's an amazing thing Indiana, just know that." She said in a gentle voice.

"Does that mean he can feel my emotions?" I asked nervously.

"Yes." She said before she began, "Beloved's these days are nearly extinct. There hasn't been a single case of one since 1921 which is why this is such a big deal. There will be people who will want to run experiments on you, treat you like an object. That's why it's important you stay at this school under our supervision."

"Why would someone want to run experiments on me?" I asked in fear.

"Not only are you the first hybrid in our world, you are also the beloved of a notorious pureblood, a level two at that. If word got out about what you are there would be an outrage for even allowing you into the academy. The strigoi are very hated creatures." She said in a serious tone. A soft knock on the door interrupted our conversation.

"Come in!" She called out to whoever was behind the door. The door opened and I turned to see a very sickly looking Salem leaning against the school nurse who was holding several blood bags. I guess this is what happens when he doesn't feed for three days. He slouched down in the chair next to me where he eagerly devoured his blood bags.

Ms. Vale waved away the nurse who left with a slight nod of her head. Minutes passed of us anxiously watching Salem devour blood bag after blood bag before he finally noticed our gaze.

"What?" He asked while wiping the blood off of his lips. His lips...

My mind is in the gutter.

"Nothing..." Ms. Vale said before she said, "I need you two to sign this."

She handed a piece of paper to us that read: The Beloved's Pact

"Wait a minute... beloved?" Salem asked confusedly.

"How much do you remember from that night?" Ms. Vale asked him amusedly.

"I chased Indie down the hallway. I called out to her and she opened the door, then we... Oh." He said my face turning bright red.

"Wait a minute... show me the mark." He said to me and we made eye contact for the first time.

"It's in a strange place." I mumbled hoping he'd catch on. He didn't.

"Just do it." He repeated obviously not believing any of this.

I nervously stood up and lifted up my shirt to reveal the symbol of a raven and a dove on my hip. His eyes widened as he said, "What have I done?" His words hurt.

"I'm so sorry." He apologized.

"Don't be." I said in a low voice.

I sat back in my chair my jaw extremely tensed as Ms. Vale looked between the two of us with a concerned look on her face. "You must sign the papers." She said.

"Fine with me." I mumbled taking the paper and messily signing it.

"I-I can't." Salem stammered, "What the hell is going on?"

"Sign it." Ms. Vale said roughly and he unwillingly signed his name on the paper.

"You two may return to your dorms. Just know that the longer you two are separated the worse your depression and irritability will get. I don't want any students getting hurt." She said in a firm tone.

"Fine with me." I said in a cruel tone and Salem must've noticed my expression for the first time as his eyes somehow widened even more. He obviously was extremely confused as to what the hell was going on.

I abruptly stood up and left the office slamming the door behind myself. I began to run down the hallway tears springing in my eyes. Why did I ever think that maybe he actually liked me?

Heartbreak is a bitter thing.

I heard his heightened footsteps chasing after me so I quickened my pace making into the dorm platform where he finally caught me pinning me against the wall.

"Indie, what's wrong?" He asked me his eyes boring into mine as I stayed silent.

"What's wrong?" He repeated nearly pleading.

"I think you know." I said in a low voice and his face hardened.

"Indie, I wasn't in my right mind." He replied.

"Yeah, alright." I said managing to squirm out of his grasp. I turned the doorknob and he grabbed my wrist making me look back at him.

"What?" I asked daringly while raising an eyebrow.

"Just let me-" He began before I cut him off, "Just let you what?"

I swung the doorknob and attempted to get away from him only for him to instead pull me into his chest. My breath hitched as I made eye contact with him.

"I don't understand." I whispered my arm beginning to glow violet again.

"You don't have to." He said looking away from my eyes.

We stayed like that for minutes in silence, yet it wasn't uncomfortable at all. "Salem." I said in a quiet voice.

"What?" He replied.

"What are we?" I asked unsurely.

"We're beloveds."

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Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote and comment! What was your favorite part of this chapter? Mine was the end scene on the dorm platform.

Until next time...

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