Unclaimed
By： Marian Tee & The Passionate Proofreader & Clarise Ta
Chapter One
ZARI
Where was he?
Ahead of me, the midnight moon painted a silvery path on the school’s vast courtyard while nocturnal birds sang a haunting lullaby from the towering trees they were perched on. They created an eerily beautiful atmosphere, but worry had made me blind and deaf to my surroundings.
“Five minutes before we leave,” Madame Lavinia announced with a clap of her hands. “So do get moving, girls!”
At her announcement, the other students of La Scala Legaturia shrieked. They rushed in every direction, excitement on their faces. I envied them. I wanted to be excited, too. Today was Ziua Excursi, an annual school celebration where students were whisked away on a supervised holiday. More importantly, Masters were encouraged to accompany their pets, and that was what I most looked forward—
There he was. I finally saw my Master, walking into the courtyard with his usual brisk grace.
Alexandru.
He was dressed completely in black. and so gorgeous it was almost painful to look at him.
I can feel you staring at me.
I almost jumped in surprise. The words I heard in my mind weren’t imaginary. My Master and I were able to talk this way, thanks to our blood bond.
When our eyes met, he said teasingly, Missed me, didn’t you?
I lifted my chin. You wish. Thank God we were talking like this. If I had to speak out loud, he would have known how he had rendered me breathless.
Suddenly, he was there, his preternatural speed enabling him to reach my side in a blink of an eye.
He smirked down at me. As always…you lie.
I turned away, not wanting him to see me smile. Another moment, and I had no reason to smile at all.
“Alexandru, wait.” The voice was familiar, too familiar.
I stiffened.
“Katarina.” His voice was stiff.
I closed my eyes.
Poor Master, I thought dully. Torn between his pet and his first love, and honor required him to stick with me.
“I know you said you won’t be working today, but this is important. We’ve received news about a sighting…”
I knew what that meant. And I knew what she was doing.
While the news about a demon sighting was sure to be true, I had no doubt it was also something she brought up now in order to prevent him from coming with me.
Forcing a smile, I turned around to face them. “Master, it’s all right.” I forced myself to keep smiling even though I hated seeing Katarina’s fingers on his sleeve. Like Alexandru, she was a skilled vampire hunter, and it gave the tall brunette a certain kind of confidence that made her appear extremely attractive.
Alexandru frowned. “What—”
I didn’t let him finish, curtsying instead as I murmured, “I will see you Monday, Master.” I hurried away.
Zari, wait.
I pretended I didn’t hear him.
When I reached the bus I was assigned to, I handed my consent form to the professor. Pets weren’t allowed to leave the campus without permission from their Masters.
“Your Master will follow soon?” the professor queried. “He knows we’re about to leave anytime now?”
“He knows, and no, he won’t be accompanying me.” I struggled to keep my voice even.
“I see.” The professor struggled to keep the pity from hers.
Unfortunately, we both failed.
It was clear in her expression that she, too, had caught sight of my Master, had seen he wasn’t alone, and had probably even understood why he wasn’t coming with me.
I managed a bright smile. “May I go up now, Professor?”
“Oh, yes, yes, please!” The professor was flustered as she waved me away.
As I took the first step leading to the coach’s passenger section, I heard it.
My Master’s voice.
Zari, let me—
It’s really okay, Master. And I don’t want to keep talking about it. This time, I closed the mental connection between us, which was like slamming the phone down on his ear.
I hate him. I love him. I hate him.
I threw myself into my assigned seat, fidgeting.
I wished I had brought even a single flower with me. I needed something to keep me hoping, and even a little bit of false floromancy could do. Fumbling inside my schoolbag, I pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started tearing it into pieces.
Papyrumancy should still work, right?
I took out another sheet of paper from my bag and began tearing it into pieces as well. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not.
When the last strip would have ended on a negative, I stripped the last one into two.
He loves me.
I repeated the words to myself even though I knew it was a lie.
~~~~
We arrived at Key Moarte a little before dawn. There, I met up with my friend Rhapsody, who was part of another class. I didn’t have a hard time looking for her. It was just a matter of finding someone who looked like a life-size porcelain doll, thanks to her ebony hair, expressionless face, and exceptionally fair skin.
Chapter One
ZARI
Where was he?
Ahead of me, the midnight moon painted a silvery path on the school’s vast courtyard while nocturnal birds sang a haunting lullaby from the towering trees they were perched on. They created an eerily beautiful atmosphere, but worry had made me blind and deaf to my surroundings.
“Five minutes before we leave,” Madame Lavinia announced with a clap of her hands. “So do get moving, girls!”
At her announcement, the other students of La Scala Legaturia shrieked. They rushed in every direction, excitement on their faces. I envied them. I wanted to be excited, too. Today was Ziua Excursi, an annual school celebration where students were whisked away on a supervised holiday. More importantly, Masters were encouraged to accompany their pets, and that was what I most looked forward—
There he was. I finally saw my Master, walking into the courtyard with his usual brisk grace.
Alexandru.
He was dressed completely in black. and so gorgeous it was almost painful to look at him.
I can feel you staring at me.
I almost jumped in surprise. The words I heard in my mind weren’t imaginary. My Master and I were able to talk this way, thanks to our blood bond.
When our eyes met, he said teasingly, Missed me, didn’t you?
I lifted my chin. You wish. Thank God we were talking like this. If I had to speak out loud, he would have known how he had rendered me breathless.
Suddenly, he was there, his preternatural speed enabling him to reach my side in a blink of an eye.
He smirked down at me. As always…you lie.
I turned away, not wanting him to see me smile. Another moment, and I had no reason to smile at all.
“Alexandru, wait.” The voice was familiar, too familiar.
I stiffened.
“Katarina.” His voice was stiff.
I closed my eyes.
Poor Master, I thought dully. Torn between his pet and his first love, and honor required him to stick with me.
“I know you said you won’t be working today, but this is important. We’ve received news about a sighting…”
I knew what that meant. And I knew what she was doing.
While the news about a demon sighting was sure to be true, I had no doubt it was also something she brought up now in order to prevent him from coming with me.
Forcing a smile, I turned around to face them. “Master, it’s all right.” I forced myself to keep smiling even though I hated seeing Katarina’s fingers on his sleeve. Like Alexandru, she was a skilled vampire hunter, and it gave the tall brunette a certain kind of confidence that made her appear extremely attractive.
Alexandru frowned. “What—”
I didn’t let him finish, curtsying instead as I murmured, “I will see you Monday, Master.” I hurried away.
Zari, wait.
I pretended I didn’t hear him.
When I reached the bus I was assigned to, I handed my consent form to the professor. Pets weren’t allowed to leave the campus without permission from their Masters.
“Your Master will follow soon?” the professor queried. “He knows we’re about to leave anytime now?”
“He knows, and no, he won’t be accompanying me.” I struggled to keep my voice even.
“I see.” The professor struggled to keep the pity from hers.
Unfortunately, we both failed.
It was clear in her expression that she, too, had caught sight of my Master, had seen he wasn’t alone, and had probably even understood why he wasn’t coming with me.
I managed a bright smile. “May I go up now, Professor?”
“Oh, yes, yes, please!” The professor was flustered as she waved me away.
As I took the first step leading to the coach’s passenger section, I heard it.
My Master’s voice.
Zari, let me—
It’s really okay, Master. And I don’t want to keep talking about it. This time, I closed the mental connection between us, which was like slamming the phone down on his ear.
I hate him. I love him. I hate him.
I threw myself into my assigned seat, fidgeting.
I wished I had brought even a single flower with me. I needed something to keep me hoping, and even a little bit of false floromancy could do. Fumbling inside my schoolbag, I pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started tearing it into pieces.
Papyrumancy should still work, right?
I took out another sheet of paper from my bag and began tearing it into pieces as well. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not.
When the last strip would have ended on a negative, I stripped the last one into two.
He loves me.
I repeated the words to myself even though I knew it was a lie.
~~~~
We arrived at Key Moarte a little before dawn. There, I met up with my friend Rhapsody, who was part of another class. I didn’t have a hard time looking for her. It was just a matter of finding someone who looked like a life-size porcelain doll, thanks to her ebony hair, expressionless face, and exceptionally fair skin.