CHAPTER 245: ACADEMIC DILIGENCE

"How are you finding the surface after such a long hiatus?" Caius asked lightly.

"It’s very... open," Roxanne said.

The Coven wasn’t all that dark compared to the surface because of the crystals embedded in the ceiling of the enclosed cave that had become their home. However, the surface had a level of, well, openness that an underground cave never could, no matter the lighting.

Roxanne hadn’t expected to enjoy being here as much as she did. Life underground in the coven seemed so much more limiting to her now than it had a few hours ago.

When she became a Vampire and was told she would have to remain underground with the others to better keep the family’s secret, Roxanne hadn’t been all that bothered. She was far too focused on her newly gained immortality and the strength that coursed through her new form so she had considered it an acceptable trade-off

Now though...

"Maybe I’ll visit the surface a bit more often," she said then with a wistful smile and blinked so her eyes refocused which allowed her to see Caius inching away and starting to back out of the carriage.

"My Lord..." she started.

"If you wish to visit the surface more, I’d advise you not to be shifted. Humans are less likely to notice you when you look like one of them," he said in a sarcastic tone because what he was saying should have been obvious.

Roxanne smiled.

"Of course," she said and her Vampire red eyes began to clear. Her fangs also retracted.

Her human eyes were interesting. They were silver but with thin black rings around her pupils that let the color pop against the perfect whites of her sclera.

Caius nodded.

"See what I mean? Normal," he said but again he was being sarcastic because her eyes were far too interesting to be normal and not grab attention. But at least the attention wouldn’t out her as a Vampire so it worked.

"Goodbye, Roxanne," Caius said then as he opened the carriage door to get out and shut it before she could respond.

Roxanne’s mouth was open as she eyed the shut door. She had been in the middle of speaking but it hadn’t been to bid Caius goodbye as he had done to her and instead had been to ask him to stay behind a bit longer.

She found herself being gripped by a longing for his touch. She raised a hand and undid a couple of buttons of her jacket so she could reach in and stroke the back of her index finger against the smoothness of one of her breasts. Trying to replicate the feeling Caius had given her with his touch but of course, she failed at that.

She let out a sigh. And a voice sounded all over the inside of her Carriage.

"Are you alright, My lady?"

Roxanne blinked. The carriage was fitted with sound-dampening enchantments that made sure sound couldn’t escape it and couldn’t pierce it either. However, there was a momentary override that could be activated so an exchange could be had without the carriage door needing to be opened. Kind of like an intercom.

"I’m alright," Roxanne said after clearing her throat, "Let’s return."

She took off her jacket and changed out of the shirt Caius had torn with his claw, but when she sent it into her Storage ring, she did so with care and not disregard. Like the torn piece of clothing meant something to her.

And it did. Even if Roxanne couldn’t say that with certainty. Yet.

...

Caius stepped away from the Leopold Carriage the moment he was out of it. He didn’t linger and simply approached the Hellsingers meant to guard him.

"Young Lord," The Captain greeted.

"Captain," Caius greeted in turn.

"May I ask what that was about?" The Captain asked.

"A little misunderstanding that has been smoothed over," Caius answered and patted the Captain’s arm gently, "Nothing to worry about."

"Alright," the Captain said but Caius could detect something about his tone which caused him to pause entering his carriage.

"I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell my father about this," he said to the Captain knowing that, by default, all occurrences while he was under their guard were to be reported.

"Why not?" The Captain asked with furrowed brows.

Caius shrugged.

"It’s an unimportant resolution of a little misunderstanding," Caius said, "Nothing to worry him about."

"Of course, Young Lord," the Captain said.

Caius’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re still going to tell him, aren’t you?" He asked.

"Undoubtedly, Young Lord," The Captain answered promptly with a bow.

Caius sighed and got into the carriage. Maybe he could have tried throwing his weight around a bit but he was willing to bet the Hellsingers feared and respected his father more than they did him. So he gave up.

It didn’t matter anyway and he might as well conserve his energy for the story he would tell his father to explain a meeting with a Leopold without revealing the actual truth.

The Leopolds got out of their way to head back to their estate and Caius was ferried home where he learned his father was not at the Estate which caused him to smile lightly and let out a sigh that he had a bit more time to cook up his cover story.

He headed to his room and took a bath after what had been a long day and then he got to work on his personal assignments which were about Blood Alchemy and the study of the Arcane Codex. When he was burned out doing that, he headed to bed and woke up early to get back to it.

When it was morning proper, he heard a knock at his door.

"Master Caius, are you up?" Orland called out from behind the door.

"Come in," Caius called to the chief butler, and with a click, the door swung open and Orland stepped in with a tray in hand. On top of it was a canister filled with Caius’s ever constant ration of Blood.

"Ah, Master Caius, Good morning," Orland greeted with a smile, "Early bird and all that."

"Morning to you as well, Orland," Caius said eyeing the canister,

"Is Father back?"

"Not yet, Master Caius," Orland said as he placed the tray on top of Caius’s desk, "But I’m sure he’s safe. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yes," Caius answered lightly, "Nothing."

His father heading out of the Estate and being away for long stretches of time wasn’t all that uncommon and Caius wouldn’t say he was exactly worried especially because he knew Lucian Von Helsing could handle himself in a dangerous situation. But, absences were still sometimes— thought-inducing.

On the bright side though, he wasn’t sure he had a cover story for yesterday yet so more time to think on it wasn’t bad.

"Will you still be heading to your lessons today?" Orland asked.

Caius smiled to himself,

"I wouldn’t dream of missing it," he said.

Orland got slightly teary-eyed.

"Your academic diligence is to be admired, Master Caius," he said and even sniffled once.

Caius’s lips twitched at the fact that academic diligence had nothing to do with his excitement for lessons with Cynthia Kragsten.

"I’ll go have them get the carriages ready," Orland said, "Excuse me, Master Caius."

Orland stepped out of the room then, closing the door behind him and Caius was left alone to eye the canister of Blood. He opened it and noted a difference in the scent.

"This isn’t from a Wyvern," Caius noted. He could tell because it didn’t have the same signature as every other Beast Blood he had been given thus far.

That said, he had no idea what Beast had shed the blood in the canister in his hand. Being a Vampire didn’t make him capable of automatically being able to tell.

He wasn’t disappointed that this wasn’t Wyvern Blood though. If anything, he was excited. He could finally have some variety with his ’Trait Acquisition’ Alchemical Experiments.