Story 17/1001

• pledge
• excuse
• comfort

I wanted this. I have worked hard to get here. I have focused only on this. I never had friends, never had a boyfriend, never strayed from this path. Then, why do I feel so defeated?

I’m standing next to the first step, but my feet won’t move. I never expected this building to look so cold and menacing. Did it feel that way for my parents, too?

“Excuse me, are you going to move?” I turned around and saw a beautiful brown-haired girl standing behind me, with three other girls. “First day is always the hard one, but you can’t stop on the first step.”

“Way to comfort someone. I’m Natalia. Did you have a tour of the college yet?” Said a girl with flaming red hair.

“Cara. And I haven’t.”

As soon as I said that, Natalia took my hand and rushed me to the top of the stairs. Just like that, I made my first steps towards avenging my parents’ deaths.

“You don’t look like a normal one.”

I stopped. Natalia’s green eyes glistened, watching me carefully.

“Don’t worry, the four of us are from old families, too.” She whispered. “As you probably heard, this college is now filled with humans, but the old families hold the reins.”

I can’t speak. How did they find out about me that easily? Of course I know all this – it has been fed to me ever since I could remember.

“One of my gifts is knowing exactly who is from an old family. And I can tell yours is an unusual one.” Her grip on my arm tightened. “So, which one are you?”

I tried giving her a half smile. For someone who wanted this so bad, I forgot about the most important part – there are families like hers. She must be from one of the two blood families. They are like hawks – their prey doesn’t stand a chance.

If I want to be a predator, I can’t give in.

“Griffith.” I answered, trying to sound as confident as I could. It was the name on my student ID, after all. So, technically, I didn’t lie.

Her grip relaxed and she smiled. If I could, I would have sighed a sigh of relief.

“I knew it. This school hasn’t had a Griffith in decades! You must tell me just where have you been hiding.”

“Don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard on the whole ‘interrogating’ thing?”

Natalia released my hand and scoffed at the boy next to us.

It was him. The black hair, blue eyes, chiseled face, tall and muscular body – it can’t be anyone else. He’s the son of Nicholas Amato, my parents’ best friend.

And the man who had them killed.

“Of course you would show up.” Natalia rolled her eyes. “See a pretty girl and can’t help yourself, can you?”

“I have to go.” I said, trying not to look annoyed. Now is not the time to lose my temper. I have a plan. And I have to stick to it.

“Hey, Cara!” Natalia yelled after me. I turned around to see a set of blue eyes watching me. He looked as arrogant as I’ve heard Amato’s are. I averted my gaze and looked over at Natalia.

“Be at the library at midnight.” I nodded and entered the long hallway, finally allowing myself to breathe.

I didn’t think it would come so fast, but I guess he was right about the power of this surname. Tonight, I give my pledge to their blood-soaked order.

Tomorrow, I break it.