Chapter 8.
I didn't know how hard it was to get into a Latin class. I suppose because it's so late in the school year and the paper work would be a nightmare.
"Why don't we just google translate it…?"
"Really Max! You couldn't have thought of that before? So I just went through all of this trouble, to get into a damn Latin class, when we could just use google translate." God dammit Max.
"Well, sorry, I only just thought of it."
I sigh. His sorry voice really throws me off.
"It's ok, now you have to help me translate it then" he nods as we head down to the feeders.
"So you have no idea how, or why you started writing Latin in your sleep?"
It happened again the next night, I awoke to papers covering my bed but it was all the same words.
"I have no idea. I mean, I swear I've heard those words before I just don't know where. I'm guessing it has something to do with these visions and what the psychic said. Oh which reminds me, I'm going to try the tarot cards this afternoon." After everything that went on for the past 2 days, I haven't really been interested in bringing out the cards.
"Do you want me to be there? I mean, maybe you can try and give me a reading." Nice idea Max, you're full of with great ones today.
"Yeah actually, that might be a good idea."
Leaving the feeders, I head off to magic class. Today's class is theory though, so I don't have a chance to practice some more. Which isn't going well either. I still can't accomplish anything big like air users usually can. It's just little things. We talk about how all four magic elements are forged into stakes and wards and how it conflicts with Strigoi life. It gets me thinking about Strigoi. I wonder what it would like to be one. I mean everyone is all, 'Oh no, it's the worst thing in the world, you destroy the world, no humanity, blah blah blah' but I wonder what immortality would be like. It's kind of weird how Strigoi are created too. Strigoi can be made willingly or by force. If a Moroi purposely – or accidently for that matter – kills someone while feeding, whether it be a human, another Moroi, or dhampir, that person will turn Strigoi. A Strigoi can turn people forcibly by the draining of their blood, the Strigoi then feeds back its blood to the victim, then viola you have a Strigoi.
"Miss," I ask, "Do you know how Strigoi were first made? Like was the first one made from killing someone, or was it something else?" the whole class looks at me curiously and I shrug. It's just a question.
"Well, that's a good question. I'm guessing that your theory of someone killing another, is what created the line of Strigoi, but legend says that an ancient form of magic, forged the Strigoi bloodline, that magic in a different form, created a strigoi without the death of another being. As I said, this is legend, which most likely means fiction. But, this came about within the years of the Strigoi being created…" An ancient form of magic, hey. Could this be what the psychic was talking about? My abilities. All too soon class ends and I'm back to my room.
To my surprise, Max is waiting at my door when I show up. He runs up as he sees me.
"Hey, so I was in the library and I finished my assignment, which was really boring by the way, and I remembered I had one of the pieces of paper with your writing on it, you know, the one in Latin. Don't look at me weird, I think you gave it to me, of course you probably don't remember because you have the worst memory, like ever," he sees my face and pauses, "Anyway, I translated the words for you." He hands me the piece of paper which has a small sentence scribbled underneath it.
'Occulta et ipse vivet vinctum. The secrets will live prisoner'
What in the world!?
"This means absolutely nothing to me. 'The secrets will live prisoner' really? That sounds so cliché"
"Sorry, I did the best I could." He look solemnly at me.
"Oh no Max, you did great! Thank you. I just don't know what it means so right now, it doesn't really get us any further." I shove the paper into my bag and head into my room.
"Ok so how does this work again?" I'm sitting on my bed with my legs crossed and a tarot deck in front of me. Max is sitting opposite me with his hands in his lap and an uncertain look on his face.
"Well, I don't exactly know, I'm going to get you to cut the deck, I'll put out three cards in front of you and see if I can read them." He looks at me like I'm saying every human being has a pair of butterfly wings. "Just cut the deck Max."
I hand the deck to him and he cuts almost halfway through the deck. I take back the bottom half, and he hands me to top part he cut. I bring them back to me and take a deep breath, Max looks at me uncertainly. I flip over the top 3 cards in front of me.
The first card on the left is the 3 of pentacles, the middle one is ace of swords, and the right card is the empress. Max looks at me again and I stare down at the cards trying to read them. I stare for ages but nothing really comes to me. It's so quiet in my room I can hear mine and Max's breathe at different intervals. Nothing happens. Although at different stages of my concentration the Latin words pass through my head.
"Occulta et ipse vivet vinctum. Occulta ep ipse vivet vinctum"
I concentrate on the words and the cards to see if I can connect them, but I can't.
Eventually Max sighs and leans back on the bed.
"Ok, it's been ages, this isn't working. Maybe you have to, like, research the cards or something. Learn what each of them mean and stuff."
"Obviously you do Max, I just thought that maybe I would just understand them or it would bring on a vision or something." I put my head in my hands.
"Well maybe this vision thing has just stopped, it probably doesn't mean anything. Maybe you're just going through a phase or something." Max looks so uncertain of everything I'm saying.
"It's not a phase Max! It means something! I know it does I just don't know what and I can't figure it out! Maybe if you would help more…" I'm yelling at this point and I don't know how I got this frustrated so quickly.
"I am trying to help! I'm being your friend in all this! Which means I have to be honest! This stuff is just stupid, you probably were just dreaming about those stupid words and have dreams about the book and everything else. Your just remembering it during the day!" his voice raises slightly as well.
"I am not remembering dreams! How do you explain the visions of Dragomir and Hathaway then?" My fists are clenched and I'm starting to shake.
"I don't know! Half of this is unexplainable! Why can't you just leave this alone and forget about it?" he stands up at the end of the bed.
"Because this is something I have to do for me! This means something to me! If you were really my friend you would help me and stop being so damn stupid because I can't understand some god damn tarot cards!" the words rush out and it comes out a lot harsher then I meant it.
"Well maybe I'm not your friend." His mouth is set in a hard line and he is fidgeting with his hands which is a habit when he is frustrated.
I suck in my breath. "So what, you're not my friend then?"
"No." with that, he quickly closes the distance between us and brings his hands to my face. Before I can form a coherent thought, his lips are on mine, his hands weaving through my hair. His lips are just like I remember, soft and comforting. He slowly walks me back and pushes me against the wall next to my bed, I can feel the corner of the window seal digging into my back. He moves his hands down my side and snakes them around my hips.
He pulls me closer so that I can feel his heart beat on my chest, just above my own pulse, he does all this without breaking the kiss. My breathing accelerates and I kiss him back. It's been so long since I've kissed someone. I miss it. My eyes flutter open and shut again.
Reality hits like a bucket of cold water. No, no Max shouldn't be doing this. No. I try to bring my hands back from behind his neck and put them on his chest, he gives a slight gasp and it makes me falter. I push him hard away from me.
"No, Max, stop." I say just as he stops kissing me for air. "Stop." I continue to push him and he eventually backs away from me.
"But I thought, I thought you wanted me. We can do this Vienna, you know we can. We can try again." He sounds so desperate.
"No, we can't. You shouldn't have done that. Leave please. Just go." I turn towards the window and look out at the pitch blackness.
"Vienna, please." He moves towards me and I try to move closer toward the window but it's impossible, I may as well climb out it.
His expression turns from desperate to complete shutdown. His face goes blank. And in a blink, he turns and stalks out the door and slams it.
I sink back against the wall.
I spend the rest of the day sitting on my bed, trying to work out the tarot cards and thinking about Max. This is all so confusing. I didn't give him any reason for him to kiss me, I don't think I did. We were doing so well. When it comes to dinner I slink up to the kitchen and make myself something to eat. Doing all this without seeing Max is a relief. I can't see him right now. Before I leave I notice someone sitting at a table and staring at me. I have no clue who he is. While I cook dinner he continues to stare and it's unnerving. After a full 20 minutes of being stared at I turn to the stranger.
"Excuse me, do you have a problem?"
He sits back in his chair like my attention is the exact thing he wanted. He leaves one leg on the ground and throws the other over the arm of the chair. He flounces an arm over the back of the chair too.
"Vienna Markson. What a pleasure to finally meet you." He says with a smirk. Finally meet me? I haven't seen this guy before.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I narrow my eyes slightly so this guy, whoever he is, knows I'm not in the mood to be messed with right now. He sits up and comes to a stand in front of me and holds out his hand.
"No, you don't. But I know you. And the problems you're having." I stare at his hand incredulously. Is this some joke?
"I have no idea what you're talking about." I cross my arms over my chest, this is so not what I need.
"Oh sure you do, you know, the mysterious visions, the voices in your hand, excreta etcetera." He waves his hand like he's talking about the weather. I glance around to see if anyone is watching. And stare at him again. How does he know? "I know because," wow that was weird… "I have the same thing. I've been through it before. I'll gladly help you if you like. But trust me, you really shouldn't be telling your boyfriend, what's-his-name your little problems, no one will understand, I know that much. Anyway, I've gotta go, I'll see you around." He dips his head, like he has a hat on and begins to walk away.
"Hey I didn't get your name." I yell at his receding form.
"That's because I didn't give it to you." He laughs as he walks out the door.