Empire of Vampires ✔️

Chapter Four

James sighed with exasperation and stomped away from her as Andrew looked on his surprise, just having discovered that the two opposites were actually siblings. They must certainly be the same age as well to be in the same year.

'Are you twins?!'

'Yes, I'm older!' Marie replied quickly. It was clearly something that was important to her.

'I've lived longer,' grumbled James under his breath, so softly that Andrew was sure he misheard him. He must've for it made no sense, and Marie ignored him as well. She came to the end of the banister and gleefully threw herself off the curve.

He followed them to the courtyard in amazement, his thoughts back to being confused on why James had shown such animosity towards him the day before if it had nothing to do with Marie. He was shocked that they were twins; they couldn't be any less alike.

Although now that he thought about it, they both had that long, aristocratic nose and those strong, determined features. Her face was a bit rounder than his and her chin a little pointier, but that was only because his angular face was obviously more masculine than hers.

Their eyes seemed similarly blue at first glance but hers was the bright, sparkling blue of a clear lake, unhindered by clouds and devoid of layers. They held an openness of what you see is what you get but they usually sparked with a mischievous glint.

James, on the other hand, had turquoise teal eyes that were more similar to a crashing ocean than a clear blue lake. They were intriguing and held secrets within their shifting shades. Its forest green flecks added a new depth that was akin to that of the greenery growing beneath the ocean surface.

Andrew decided that they may look similar, but their personalities were still completely different.

It was still rather cloudy outside, but the courtyard was partly walled up and with a makeshift glass roof to keep the cold and wind out. The large stone walls had uncoordinated rose trellis running about twenty feet high and an abundance of greenery hung from above, the long leafy plants overspilling from glass containers. Andrew gasped at the bubbling stream curving around the stone tables, its mossy banks were strewed with multicolored wildflowers making it look like a secret garden. There was even an adorable little wooden bridge with ivy twining around its arches.

Marie led Andrew to a small waterfall created on the other end of the courtyard; he realized now that that was where the stream started from. She was wearing trousers today; to keep out the cold, Andrew supposed, but she had left her blazer back in the classroom and she didn't seem to be in any discomfort in her short-sleeved, boxy-shaped shirt. Andrew himself didn't feel quite so freezing as he had the moment he'd landed on this cold continent. Of course he still wore his blazer, but the all-around glass created a partial greenhouse effect, which probably helped.

The waterfall was only about six feet tall, almost matching Marie in height as she stood next to it, but not matching her still grace. She promptly broke the spell as she plopped down on a tuft of grass and stuck her feet right into the bottom of the waterfall.

'You forgot to take off your shoes,' Andrew pointed out and he sat down carefully next to her, avoiding the patch of mud that Marie had seemed not to notice.

'OH drat! My socks feel all squelchy now.'

She peeled them off as she stuck out her tongue in annoyance. As she focused on emptying out her purple combat boots, the current of the water dragged the offending sock out of her hand and pulled it downstream. 

Marie watched it get dragged away with comical horror as it swirled along the bends and came to rest behind a red-headed girl sitting along the banks about ten meters away. She was engaged in lively conversation with her friend and didn't notice the sock plopping around near the ends of her extremely long scarlet hair. 

Marie got to her feet and dashed to retrieve it, falling back down into a crawl as she got nearby. She discreetly inched closer, hiding behind the vast curtain of hair as she slowly reached out and tried to grab ahold of the runaway sock. 

The scarlet hair momentarily swished as the girl shook her head in mirth and its raspberry scent wafted in the air, distracting Marie from her task as she leaned in closer to the luscious locks and took a bigger sniff. 'I must find out what shampoo she uses,' thought Marie to herself as she unconsciously moved closer so that the soft curls tickled her nose and splayed over her cheek. The girl turned around suddenly, catching Marie off guard as her chest whacked the side of the head.

'Are you sniffing my hair?' she demanded, sharply pulling away in astonishment.

'No, of course not,' said Marie coolly, turning up her nose at the idea, 'I was merely trying to get a closer look at the... fish, in the water.'

'You mean this fish?' the girl held up the offending sock with a smirk playing across her lips.

Aw shucks, so she had noticed it. 

'That's not mine,' Marie assured confidently, 'I will take it anyway, for the lost and found.' 

The girl's gaze dropped to Marie's bare feet and she chuckled at the younger girl's audacity but handed her the sock without another snide remark.

Marie grabbed it without thanks and gathered up her last shreds of dignity as she haughtily got to her feet and strode away.

Having seen the whole scene unfold, Andrew could barely control his fit of laughter. She balefully glared at him almost falling off his seat in hysteria. They had moved to a decent stone bench now; the sock experience having ruined her previous sitting area. Marie attempted to wipe the mud off her pants and then gave up and decided to just change before the next lesson.

'It is rather rude of you to giggle, you know.'

'Sorr.. Hah, sorry...' he snickered. 

Remembering he hadn't yet had breakfast, Andrew rummaged through his bag for the peanut butter sandwich he had gotten when he stopped at the cafeteria on the way to the courtyard.

'Did you bring a snack?' he asked, in a polite attempt to change the subject.

Marie assured him that she had already eaten before lectures started that day as he pulled out his bagged sandwich, a white lily falling out along with it. Andrew picked it up and twirled it around his fingers, admiring its unearthly glow for the second time before he unconsciously handed it to the girl sitting next to him.

Marie's entire demeanor changed. Her face tightened and was wiped of all expression. Andrew looked after her in bewilderment as the girl got up and left without another word.

He saw her stride all the way to the other end of the courtyard where she slammed the flower down on the lone table where James sat. She was gesticulating wildly, pointing first at Andrew and then at the flower. Andrew wanted a hole to just open up in the ground and swallow him then and there. 

James was partly glaring at him as well though he looked more concerned. He pulled his sister down to sit beside him calmly; his controlled movements almost hinting of fear. Marie was however not in the least afraid to show her distaste as she openly stared daggers in Andrew's direction.

The bell finally rang and Andrew rushed back to the classroom, wanting to escape the twin glares. He internally kicked himself for being so stupid, not realizing that the lily would drag such a reaction from her.

He hadn't really meant anything by it and certainly hadn't expected her to... really think anything of it. It had just fallen out and he had mindlessly handed it over.

It was a beautiful flower; but it's offence was that it was the foreboding of death.