The dome above their heads took a different shade today. Tinted midnight blue, neutralized by the orange lights. A product with no intention of replicating the sun, only to mock it.
Jane reached her hand beyond the shade line and let sunlight slip between her fingers. Warm, mildly irritating, but no different from what she had felt all her life.
"You're early,"
The sound of grass being crushed reached her before the voice did. Jane didn't need to turn to know who it was. Out of the three people who would approach her, Alina was the one on time.
"You too. Where's Alice?"
"She's changing," Alina said. Her gaze dropped down briefly to Jane's uniform.
Alina had already changed. A fitted purple shirt tucked neatly into black breeches. Her dark hair was brushed and tied in a low ponytail.
Sometimes Jane forgot that Alina was beautiful too.
And that she herself still needed to change into proper training clothes.
She walked up beside Alina, closing the space she had left open.
"I heard about what happened," she started. "Thanks for the shield."
Jane hadn't known keeping it up would be a problem. The guilt haunted her, remembering her and Amelia didn't bother trying and went straight to sleep.
"You're welcome."Alina shifted the helmet to her right side. "I should thank you, too. My power has improved."
Alice had mentioned it before that her sister got an upgrade. Hearing it directly from Alina eased her thoughts.
"Well," Jane said, "then you were that good already."
Alina didn't reply, but a small smile softened her face. They continued moving toward the main area, with the wind blowing quietly under the giant shade.
"Curious, how do you know when to let someone out, Alina," Jane asked.
Alina slowed down, her gaze drifted ahead to calculate a proper answer.
"When I create the shield, I assign it to someone in there. They just walk out."
Knew it.
The three knocks thing was a lie, not really, more like a Rose's joke.
The roof of the stable rose into view beyond the slope, quietly ending their conversation.
"Your clothes are here, Jane!"
Amelia ran up to them and grabbed Jane's hand.
All of this was new for Jane. Being dragged around… was new too. And she didn't mind it.
She loosened her shoulders and let Amelia guide her to the locker, where two new outfits waited side by side: one with a structured red blazer, the other a simple practice set.
Fit perfectly.
"Red kinda suits you, Jane," Amelia said.
Jane glanced down.
"Yeah, only when there's a little bit."
It was basically her uniform, horseback riding version, with red only as an accent.
A new uniform, unfortunately, didn't come with a new skill.
Jane headed to the stable to collect her horse. The black one stood alone in its stall, eating peacefully, paying no attention to the human in front of it.
She took a step closer.
The horse lifted its head, ears pinning back as a hoof scraped against the ground. Though they didn't get along, Jane could read the warning behind its wrinkled eyes.
If only it weren't the strongest, best-looking horse left.
Jane sighed and shifted her attention to the next stall.
"I can help you conquer it,"
Rose appeared from behind her, blocking Jane's path. She was dressed in proper training clothes today, which only made the memory of her jumping onto the horse in a skirt even more impressive.
"No need. I can just choose another one," Jane kept walking. She had four options left, three, since one would belong to Rose.
"No, you won't. You have already tried that. Besides, it wouldn't be as satisfying." She tilted her head and smirked.
A person who refused to kneel in front of her wouldn't want to miss this chance.
Jane let out a long, defeated breath. Luckily, Rose couldn't read minds, otherwise, she could have heard how excited Jane was.
"Fine. But I need to find my stairs first."
She bent down, scanning for the blue 4-step mounting block, from the corner of the stable all the way back to the changing cottage.
"I threw it,"
"You threw it???"
"I hide it. But that doesn't matter. You're going to learn how to mount a horse without one." Rose raised her voice.
"Okay." Jane nodded.
"Watch me."
Nothing changed, but for a moment, Rose disappeared into a world of her own. To bend another's will with a glance, that was the power.
To an outsider, she merely fixed her gaze on the horse. But those who had drowned in it knew the eyes did more than see.
The horse shuddered, then folded instantly without a single resistance.
"Come on. Your turn." Rose tipped her chin.
How was she supposed to learn anything from a lesson lasting no longer than 1 minute? But of course, Jane kept the thought to herself.
She lifted her right foot three centimeters off the ground, and 0,3 meters closer to the horse. Her body locked, ready to run away at the first hint of history repeating itself.
Behind her, Rose sighed — long, slow and full of disappointment.
"It won't be friendly to you, Jane. You are half a vampire now."
"Half. That's the problem," she replied, frustratedly.
The horse flicked its ear and drifted its eyes to her for one moment. Nothing more.
"What did you feel back then?" Rose asked, suddenly changing the subject.
The question caught Jane's attention.
Her mouth opened, then closed. There wasn't an answer to this. She had already tossed it to the back of her head until now.
"It was… fear," she said at last, staring at the grass beneath her boots. Her shoulders pulled inward. "No, not exactly."
She swallowed.
"It was… a lot. I wanted to kneel, like it would bring me some sort of pleasure, like I was standing in front of…"
She paused to find the right word.
"A god."
Silence spread between them. Rose was never easy to read, but there was something unmistakable in her eyes now, surprise mixed with… pitiness.
"Good that you still remembered," Rose said softly.
She stepped closer and stopped right behind Jane's back.
"Now," she continued, the words brushed against Jane's ears. "I want you to inflict that on the horse."
"What? I can't—"
"Straighten your back, and roll your shoulders."
Jane could feel the coldness from Rose's hands on her. She followed the order instantly.
"Focus on the horse," Rose said. "Let your pain run through it,"
Jane lifted an eyebrow and turned, searching Rose's face for a hint of humor.
There was none.
"All right," Jane exhaled. "Here goes."
Her fingers curled into fists, veins surfacing as she held her breath. She squeezed her eyes and imagined a dark smoke escaping her body.
The horse suddenly stood up. Its head immediately fixed on Jane.
Jane blinked. And the moment collapsed.
"I really can't. It barely looked at me," she said. Her back fell back to slouching.
"I think it would be faster if we did it like the other time. You know, you kneeled both of us down."
Jane let out a dry laugh.
Rose didn't turn around. But she had heard.
Her brows drew together, while her lips pressed, like she was calculating the possibilities.
Jane didn't understand Rose's obsession. Not in a million years would she believe a human could bend anything with a gaze.
"Again," Rose insisted, her hands were as heavy as iron, pinning Jane in place.
"Listen to my voice."
"I am," Jane replied flatly.
"Shut up!"
Jane straightened up like a scared animal. Rose's breath vibrated against her back, low and steady.
"Close your eyes. Empty your head."
Jane obeyed. Her lids pressed shut, sealing out light, sealing out everything else.
Rose watched the slight twitch beneath Jane's eyelids and sighed. It was quickly becoming her favorite human habit.
Then the air seemed to stall. Rose narrowed her eyes, the slow smile curving across her face.
Jane waited in silence. Rose's presence brushed against her neck, but no sound escaped her lips. Sweat gathered in Jane's palms, under her arms, anywhere it could to relieve the tight knot in her chest.
She dared a glance. From the corner of her eye, she saw it. She saw Rose's eyes had turned black, veins crawling along her skin, and fangs pressed against her lower lip.
She drove Rose insane!
Jane held the scream in her throat while trying to pull her neck away from the danger.
"Be still."
That was all she said, and Jane had no choice but to obey. Rose's grip tightened. Her hair slid over Jane's shoulder, creating a dark curtain closing them off from the world.
The sharp tip brushed Jane's neck. Then it pressed in, breaking the first layer, sending a sudden rush of cool liquid through the tiny wounds.
It's coming again.
Jane closed her eyes. Strength drained from her limbs, her knees buckling as she sagged forward, held upright only by Rose.
Follow my voice, Jane
Who is calling?
I'm the only sound that matters.
The only thing you can hear.
The wind fades. Grass shifting as students run across the field, voices brushing past her ears, then dissolving into nothing.
I'm your thoughts. Your guidance.
You're my thoughts. My guidance.
Now, open your eyes
Her eyelids lifted. She could see the grass, the horse, the sky, but she wasn't there.
We're above everyone.
Everything.
And our own flesh.
Her ability to sense faded. Skin thinned until it no longer existed.
Our pain is your pain.
Our fear is your fear.
The horse trembled.
Kneel.
And become a part of us.
A part of God.
A heavy thud answered. Colors and sounds rushed back to her. The world fell into place while the horse lay on the ground.
"I did it! I did it!" Jane jumped and turned around. Her fingers curled around Rose's arms, then her smile slowly faded.
Rose was behind her the entire time.
"It was you, wasn't it?" she asked. The question came out weak, as if saying it aloud might shatter the fragile hope she was holding onto.
"We did it," Rose said after a pause. She swallowed, then took a deep breath before continuing. "You were missing one last element, so I intervened."
A soft smile brushed her lips, barely reaching her eyes.
"Yeah, which is being a vampire," Jane said. She was disappointed, but not surprised.
She turned and ran toward the stable. Her smile returned like it had never vanished. At least she had a horse now.
'Wait! Do I still have to learn how to get on it?" Jane called over her shoulder.
Driving Rose insane might just become her new favorite hobby.
"Out of the question!"