Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 11: Fire in the mountain—Run!

Ruelle clutched the quill in her hand while she sat in class. Despite the passing hour, her mind was shackled to Mr. Mortis's words. She couldn't leave Sexton? The establishment owned them? Was her family aware of this?

After the Antiquity class, which was the study of vampire and human history, the Elites stayed behind while the Groundlings moved on to their next lesson.

"What does S.T stand for?" Ruelle asked as she tightened the ribbon in her hair.

"Maybe Sexton and something staring with T? Or maybe survival tactics," Hailey joked.

When they stepped into the room with the other students, Ruelle noticed that instead of the usual desks and blackboards, the room had benches lining the walls and...a single bed.

Her eyes were drawn to a striking vampiress standing at the centre of the room. She wore a red dress with a white cravat adorning her neck, fastened with a green pin that glinted in the candlelight. Despite the long velvet curtains, there were no windows. Similarly, though hooks adorned the ceiling, no chandeliers hung from them.

"Settle in everyone," the instructor ordered as the rest of the students filed into the room.

One boy, crossing to the front, stumbled, only to be caught by the instructor's swift and steady grip.

"Pardon me!" The boy apologised, who appeared to be fifteen years old.

As the room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the instructor. She leaned in close to the boy's face, creating evident tension in the air. Was she going to kiss a student? The question rippled silently through the room. The boy's lips parted ever so slightly, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty clear on his face.

"It seems we'll be refining some manners in this class, won't we?" The instructor murmured, her voice smooth and assured.

The boy, clearly from a higher social standing despite his human status, flushed and hurriedly moved to the side, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. A soft chuckle escaped the instructor's lips—a playful melody that broke the tension.

"I am Gemma Gilbert, your instructor for Seduction Techniques this year. You may call me Gemma," she announced, her tone professional yet inviting.

Did she hear that correctly? Ruelle asked herself with a frown.

"Se—Seduction?!" stammered one of the Groundlings, their voice thick with shock. The word was nothing less than a taboo, rarely uttered in public.

"This is not supposed to be a subject. Any such activities before marriage are immoral!" One girl exclaimed, her face flushed with exasperation.

Ruelle stood rooted to the spot with a dumbfounded expression. Her gaze drifted to the bed at the back of the room, and her cheeks burnt with embarrassment, mirroring the rest of her classmates' faces.

"Firstly, you Groundlings won't be expected to 'do the deed.' As first years, you'll only be learning to understand the concept," Gemma continued, her tone both authoritative and alluring. "You must be prepared. Our world revolves around three pillars." She raised a hand and began counting them off with deliberate precision. "Power. Wealth. And lastly, sex. Seduction is a delicate dance of restraint and release. When does it truly begin? With a touch, or long before that?"

"What use will this be for someone training to be a guard?" a young man asked sceptically.

Gemma's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Imagine your master or mistress entertains a guest—perhaps even an enemy," she replied, her tone persuasive and smooth. "The skills you will learn here could prove vital for their protection. Should your master or mistress require your... attention, you must be prepared. Moreover, if you aspire to become the spouse of a prince, an earl, or any high-ranking vampire, wouldn't you want their attention focused solely on you?" Her sly smile widened, capturing the interest of the students, especially the girls.

"Remember," she added sternly, "what we practice here remains within these walls. Any misuse or inappropriate actions outside this classroom will have severe consequences for you, Groundlings." Her gaze hardened, emphasising the gravity of her warning.

"That's reassuring, isn't it?" someone in front of Ruelle asked in relief.

"She only mentioned Groundlings and didn't say anything about the Elites," another classmate murmured.

"To ease you into this class, let's begin with an activity. Close your eyes," Gemma ordered, clapping her hands with enthusiasm.

Ruelle apprehensively complied, closing her eyes until Gemma said, "Now, girls, think of the man who first comes to your mind. Boys, picture a girl. Write down their characteristics—"

"Like my father?" A confused voice interrupted.

Before Gemma could respond, another student interjected, "My sister?"

Gemma's eyes widened, a flicker of alarm crossing her face, and she muttered, "No! You have misjudged the intention of this class and we clearly need to establish some boundaries. Very well, let's adjust our approach," she said, recovering her composure and continuing smoothly.

Ruelle's mind raced. She was going to fail this subject—she was certain of it. It was because of the person who had materialised in her mind. Her thoughts swirled in anxious spirals. She had never interacted much with young men her age, let alone thought of them in any romantic way. This was uncharted territory.

When the opportunity of attending Sexton arose, she had known it was a sketchy place. Yet it offered something no other place did: a chance to make money, to earn enough to free herself from the burdens of her family's crushing debt. But never, in all her planning, had she expected to face something like this. The concept of seduction—of using her body to please someone she didn't even know—felt overwhelming, a step too far.

"Do you mind?"

A soft murmur pulled Ruelle abruptly from her swirling thoughts. Standing before her was a young man. He stood a couple of inches taller than her, his demeanour surprisingly calm. "What?" she responded, taken aback by the unexpected intrusion.

"Has everyone found a partner for the class?" Gemma's authoritative voice resonated through the room, commanding attention and momentarily quieting the ambient hum of conversation. "You'll need to pair with someone of the opposite sex," she continued, her instructions as firm as they were clear.

gaze settling on Hailey, who was already beside another male student, laughing softly

in two weeks," Gemma announced as she scanned the room. "Until then, we'll be working on assignments. Your first one is to observe your partner, document their characteristics, and submit

you. I'm Kevin Reynolds," the young man with black eyes introduced himself with a

when they were sorting us into our dorm

replied, and asking

the cut. My goal is to become a high-ranking minister in the royal court." He leaned in conspiratorially, shadows dancing across his face. "But, between you and me, seeing how things are here, I

on whether I pass my

will pass just fine! I watched you jotting down notes," Kevin remarked

happy to help," Ruelle offered warmly, noticing how Kevin's eyes lit up with her suggestion. She was already helping Hailey, so assisting another

that?" Ruelle nodded, seeing Kevin's initial anxiousness ease as they continued talking. "That would mean the world to me. I could even pay you with some of the money I will earn

a soft smile playing on her lips. "No need for

you gathered enough for library access yet?" Kevin

glint of determination in her eyes. Seeing her, Kevin couldn't

her shoulder against Ruelle before walking past her. Ruelle's

switching rooms," Hailey suggested. "She's like

let her hear that, else she will be after you too." She then asked,

it right, plenty of the

about that." The last thing she needed was to jump from the pan

warily. She noticed masks disappearing from the Elites

quickened at the memory of what happened after her bath, and she quickly used Hailey as her

asked, ducking her head. "No?" she asked upon

last night in the maze," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

lit up in recognition. "Oh, Lucian Slater! He is Blake's best friend. He was probably there to see her. I mentioned the whole name change thing, and she just laughed

was joking, though, Ruelle thought as she took her seat at the

was sharp and unwavering. His expression was unreadable, his eyes holding an air of disinterest as he sipped the blood from his glass. Beside him, Sawyer leaned back in his chair, arms draped lazily across the backrest,

tilting her head slightly, the question hanging lightly between them like an

ask me, the competition seems lacklustre at best.

smooth. "Remember that Groundling from four years back? The one who

nodded, grinning. "Ah, indeed. The teams won't take shape for a few more weeks. Until then, it's all trial runs as names get tossed about. That's part of the charm—the surprise element. Jinxy mentioned we'll be working with the first-year Groundlings.

than an exercise in futility," Lucian replied, his words tinged with subtle haughtiness. Sexton thrived on mixing not just classes

of the year, they found only harsh truths beneath

Hailey? The poor girl was trembling last night," the vampiress queried, her lips pressing into a thin

Lucian's response was coloured with

in his eye. "Lucian unsettling someone?" he mused. "Hardly newsworthy. He has a knack for it, after all—be it men or women, Groundlings or Elites, he's—" he paused upon Lucian's glare, only to give him a smile. "I

eyes danced with a soft amusement as she rolled them subtly. "I'm

fleeting frown ghosted across Lucian's face, vanishing almost as quickly

Sawyer's face lit with recognition, his gaze wandering briefly toward the

the curious gazes of other human girls aimed in his direction, he offered them a small, roguish wave before settling back into his seat. The playful light in his eyes

Lucian remarked, his voice smooth yet tinged with a

the clock struck three in the afternoon, the first-year students found themselves gathered beside the imposing labyrinthine structure of

a cheerfully high-pitched voice from behind the vine-laden walls. A vampire emerged, dressed in combat attire, his high boots crunching on the gravel path. "I'm Jinxy Peru, and with me, you'll learn the art of

humans hunting the vampires to stake them? Ruelle asked herself. The vampires were allowing them to do that? She found it

immediately noted Jinxy's striking eyes, each a different hue—one a chilling blue, the other an intense red—giving him the eerie allure of a

very essence of the place. After what felt like an endless journey through

seniors to join us today," Mr. Jinxy announced, his voice carrying over the clearing. "They will be your guides and instructors

an invitation, can I leave?" an Elite teased, her voice dripping with audacity, drawing amused snickers

to reconsider, young lady," Mr. Jinxy countered sharply, fixing her with a steely gaze before addressing the entire group. "Today, you'll learn the art of

cracked his knuckles, narrowing his gaze at some of the

tension, Hailey exhaled in relief. "Look! There's Senior Blake!" she exclaimed, gesturing to a familiar

Ruelle spotted the vampiress Hailey pointed out, her attention was irresistibly drawn to the figure standing next to her—Lucian. The intensity of his presence was magnetic, pulling her focus as if the world suddenly

whispers swirling like leaves on a hesitant breeze. The aura of intimidation that clung to him acted as an invisible barrier, preventing anyone from daring

toward Blake, but as they neared, their path was intercepted by another

again!" Sawyer greeted, his voice light and engaging. Yet it was Ruelle upon whom his eyes settled, a playful curiosity lingering in his expression. His gaze was as deliberate as it was

could feel the weight of

either Ruelle or Hailey could approach their intended instructor. Sawyer's charisma seemed to wrap around them like a

he suggested, effortlessly assuming leadership with confident ease. "How

a wry smile, "Very lively." Her tone hinted at the underlying chaos of their

a bright smile, his enthusiasm undimmed. "You'll see—this is

a Groundling's and an Elite's experience to

were no humans in the final year, and it troubled her. On the other side, the instructor caught Lucian reclined on one of the nearby benches, his