Blood Hunter (The Grandor Descendant Series) (9 page)

Ari blinked a few times. She had learnt about Louie Pasteur in her biology classes during high school, although her lessons obviously had not included such an outrageous version of the truth. She smiled picturing her 11
^th
grade science teacher, Mr Hall, whose devote Christian beliefs had prevented him from teaching them about evolution; if he only knew the truth about Louie Pasteur.

“And there are records about vampires there?” questioned Ari.

“Oh yea, Pasteur was the founder but there have been heaps of academics who have devoted years to understanding our, err,
condition
. Mainly the university is a front for research into vampirism, but there are very old records there, written pretty much since vampires have existed. And they aren’t all just about vampires; there has been a lot of research into witches and wraiths as well.”

“Really?” said Ari.

“Yea, we even have a journal; it’s called Varied Applied Myths Practised in Recent Era, get it, VAMPIRE.”

Ari laughed.

“They actually do some interesting research; I read a paper last year where they looked into the anatomical effects of the vampire toxin,” he said, not betraying a hint of sarcasm.

Ari nodded slowly, uncertain if Ragon was being serious or not. Thinking about scientific journals, she wondered if now might be a good time to mention her hopes for continuing to study vet. Surely after everything she had been through, Ragon would not begrudge her some semblance of a normal life. She was just about to ask whether or not the Pasteur Institute offered vet science as a program, when Ragon spoke again, driving away all thoughts of broaching the topic.

“Tell me my love,” he said, squeezing her hand, “are you sure you’re ok? I can tell, I mean, I can feel your distance.”

“We’re standing right next to each other.”

Ragon smiled and said, “You know what I mean. I could tell that you were upset about what we found out at the Lancaster Titles Office, and I saw the way you reacted last night to what Sandra said. But you shouldn’t feel like you don’t have any living relatives, I mean the coven… we’re your family now.”

Ari sighed, taking in a long breathe as she said, “I know, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to seem, distant, it’s just a lot to process. I kind of always hoped that I had a family searching for me or looking out for me.”

“I was always looking out for you.”

“I know,” she said, reaching up to kiss him once on the lips, “that’s why I love you. I’m just being stupid. What do you think about all of it? Do you really think that what I can do might have something to do with the Grandor constellation we read about? It just seems to… bizarre, that out of all the star constellations we could look up, we randomly see one that has the name Grandor.”

Ragon scoffed, immediately shaking his head before saying, “I don’t know; there’s no doubt that you have some, unusual skills, but I don’t think that it is as simple as you being a witch. I mean-”

Suddenly a loud horn sounded and Ragon and Ari both looked up at the captain’s quarters.

“Looks like were here,” said Ragon, moving over to the edge and peering out into the distance. “Don’t worry. I promise you we will find out why you can do the things you can. You know, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Ari nodded; Ragon was right, it wasn’t like she was alone. She had Ragon and the rest of the coven. They were her family now.

The Isle of Man was not at all as Ari had expected it to be. When the ferry had docked, she stared up bemused at a large banner that read, ‘Withersoever you throw it, it will stand.’ Underneath this were two birds, one black the other white, and in between them were three legs all coming from a central point. Below the banner, a metal sign was erected. Ari had just enough time to read that the Isle of Man was 572 square kilometres and situated in the Irish Sea, before she was bustled by Ragon towards a car rental booth.   

As Ragon organised a SUV for the coven, Ari looked out past the ferry, to where many large commercial fishing boats were docked. Even though the day was bitterly cold and the fog swept over their boats, there was an overwhelming sense of urgency amongst the men who worked the docks. They were all shouting at each other, apparently unheard by the crashing of waves against the harbor, and moved with such haste that it made them appear as if they were late for something.    

“So how far away is the campus?” asked Ari, as the seven of them filed into a blue SUV Ragon had rented.

“About an hour drive inland,” said Clyde, reaching from the back of the car so as to turn the radio on; immediately a news report, spoken by a man with a strong Irish accent, blasted through the speakers.

Ari, who was in the front passenger seat, had only fleetingly heard the broadcaster talking about a wayward bear, who had apparently attacked several citizens, before she tuned out to the news report and instead watched the scenery blur past. They had driven along the esplanade of a small fishing town first; almost all the houses backed onto the sea, each accommodating a boat of some sorts, while their yard appeared to be filled with nets and traps. Soon the houses had begun to thin, replaced instead by rolling green hills, which stretched as far as the eye could see, occasionally punctuated by rock formations, jutting out of the earth.

Though Ari had never been to Scotland or Ireland before, she couldn’t help but draw parallels from how she pictured these countries to be, to the Isle of Man. The whole place looked like a scene right out of a Lord of the Rings movie, and there was a distinct loneliness and isolated feeling to the place. She guessed this was why the vampire community had decided to set up a university there, that and the fact that it was apparently overcast 365 days of the year- perfect vampire conditions.

It was at least half an hour since seeing the fishing village, before they drove past the next town, if you could call it that. The few cottages, for they were certainly not traditional houses, that lined the street, were ancient looking, as if they had been erected before the invention of concrete. An old school yard, which looked as if no child had crossed its path for many years, seemed to be the focal point of the town. It came equipped with a very run down oval, half the size you would normally see; no longer was the grass cut short, but in its disuse had become a marsh of thick emerald tall reeds.

The only building Ari saw which even remotely resembled anything to which she was use to back in Australia, was a hospital. It looked as if it had only recently been built, perhaps in the last 20 years or so. Again she saw the same Isle of Man symbol as before- three legs coming from a central point, though in front of this was a large white cross. Next to the cross, written in bold writing, was the sign, ‘Pasteur Hospital- funded by the Pasteur Institute since 1999.’

Ari thought it odd that the university had invested so much money into a health centre, especially considering the local school was so run down, as to be obsolete. Craning her head to keep the hospital in focus, Ari saw a large bulletin board which read, ‘Free Flu Vaccinations Coming Soon’ and underneath this, ‘Stay Safe this Winter During Bear Season.’

For the next fifteen minutes, the only thing that Ari could see was a large forest. The road which Ragon drove on seemed to have been placed smack bang in the middle of it. The branches of many large conifers and oaks were edging past the road, so that they formed an arc, entirely blocking out the already heavily filtered sunlight, so that as they drove, it almost appeared to be night time.

“We’re almost there,” said Ragon, though Ari couldn’t see anything at all that pertained to a university campus.

They had driven towards what looked like the entrance of a construction site. There were a few bulldozers and even a large crane, not to mention many piles of bricks and other haphazardly placed building materials. Many surly looking workmen, all wearing yellow vests and hardhats, stopped to stare as the coven’s car passed them.  

 “The Uni must be getting a new facility,” said Clyde, “odd place for it.”

Ragon did not slow as he passed the workmen; instead he pointed past the construction site, to an enormous stone sign which read, ‘Pasteur Institute.’ Beyond this, just in the distance, Ari could finally make out the university.

Ragon circled the campus once, pointing out the different faculties that were discernible from the road.

“Those are the halls of residence,” he said, pointing at three separate buildings, above which the words
Cruor
,
Omega
and
Delta
were etched in their stone faces. “And that is one of the libraries; I think the art and history one. And over here is the sports fields and-”

“-what’s this one?” Ari said interrupting him, pointing to single level building at the far side of the campus.

She had been attracted by a large red and white logo, depicting a snake which wrapped around a cross. She had seen a similar symbol at the University of Brisbane’s Animal Clinic, and hoped that it meant that there was a veterinary clinic on campus; a sure sign that the university offered vet science as a program.

“That’s the, err, vet clinic,” Ragon admitted.

“So they offer vet science here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent.

Ragon didn’t respond, except to speed past the building.

“And this,” said Ragon, pulling the car up to a small parking lot and pointing at a relatively new looking concrete building, “is the administration. God I am starving.”

“And this,” said Clyde, putting on his best mocking tone as he and the rest of the coven clambered out of the car, “is a parking lot… we park cars here.”

Ari frowned but Ragon ignored him, instead turning to face Thomas.

“She is expecting us?” asked Ragon.

“I told Victoria that we would be coming,” Thomas replied.

When Ari and the rest of the coven entered the administration office, Thomas took the lead and directed them to a large reception area.

“We have a meeting with the Vice Chancellor,” he said, smiling sweetly at the young receptionist behind the desk.

“One moment,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes at Clyde before reaching for a telephone and punching in a few numbers. “Hello Ms Hardings; there’s a large group of people here to see you. Ok, right away.” A second later the girl hung up the phone and gestured towards a long hallway. “You can go through; it’s the last door on the right. She’s expecting you.”   

At the end of the hallway, the last door on the right was already open; in the frame of the door stood an elegant woman. At first Ari stared at the woman and then quickly looked back at Sandra. The two were very similar; in fact, if Ari didn’t know any better, she might have thought that they were sisters. Victoria was slightly taller and older than Sandra, but both had strawberry blonde hair, small teardrop eyes and heart shaped faces. Unlike Sandra, Victoria’s hair was short and only just reached her shoulders. She wore a knee high black skirt and ruffled white blouse, giving her an overt academic appearance.

“Good afternoon,” said the Vice Chancellor, welcoming the coven into her office, as she glanced down the hallway, making certain it was empty.

“Victoria,” said Thomas, smiling sweetly as he closed the door.

Victoria seemed to hesitate but then moved quickly over to Thomas, blurring though the room and embracing him warmly.

“What brings you to our establishment?” she asked, eyeing the coven members one at a time, her eyes falling on Ariana last.

“We were just hoping to have a look arou-” Thomas began to say, but Ari cut him off.

“-I want to enrol,” she blurted out; everyone, including the Vice Chancellor, looked stunned, and Ari took advantage of their silence to add, “I have done the first few years of vet science and I was hoping to finish the course here. I noticed the schools vet clinic and I was hoping that you might offer vet as a program.”

“Indeed,” said the Vice Chancellor, apparently taken aback by Ari’s outburst, clearly not use to sources talking out of turn. “Well yes, vet is one of our more popular courses, but the academic year has already begun. We are already into the third week though, but I dare say that you would be able to catch up, that is if your UCAS application is accepted.”  

“Can I have a word,” Ragon asked, looking angrily at Ari.

Without waiting for a reply, Ragon grabbed Ari by the arm and directed her out of the Vice Chancellor’s office.