After lunch, I went back to the dorm. I wasn’t feeling well. It was like my skin was on fire. As I walked down the hall, my vision became blurry. It became harder to walk. The last thing I remember was seeing someone running up towards me.

When I woke up, I was in a soft bed. Looking around, I realized I had to be in a nurse’s office. My body still felt like my body was on fire. Looking around, I saw a woman sitting at a desk. She seemed quite busy with some sort of paperwork. I tried to move, but I couldn’t. All I was able to do was let out a groan. The woman looked up and smiles.

“So, you’re awake. You gave us all quite a scare.” She said as she got up and walked over to me. As she examined me, I could feel strange energy coming from her. It was like little waves of electricity pulsating. I wondered what it was, but there was little I could do to figure it out. “My dear, I have to ask, do you know if anyone in your family uses magic?”

I looked at her with confusion. I didn’t know anyone in my family that used magic. But then again, my family seemed keen on keeping secrets from me. sighing, I looked at her and said, “not that I know of.” This time, she looked confused. She kept examining me, and then her eyes fell on my necklace.

“Where did you get that?” she asked as she reached down and held the necklace in her hand. I looked at it and then smiled.

“It was a gift from my friend Ariel. She said it was for good luck,” I said. I watched her facial expressions. She seemed very interested in it. I wondered what was so special about it that she would ask about it.

“This necklace isn’t just for good luck. It was made for someone who wields magic, usually, for those who are just learning to use it. Tell me, do you feel a tingling sensation in your body, almost numbing?” she asked. It was strange that she asked that because that was exactly how it felt. Slowly I nodded. “That’s what I thought. You see, the reason you collapsed is that your magic is just starting to awaken.” She continued.

I thought for a moment. How could I have magic? My aunt didn’t say anything about it, and neither did my mom. Maybe they didn’t know. “Is it possible that no one in my immediate family has magic?” I asked.

“It is possible. We have had witches and warlocks born from human parents, but I would check with your aunt. I’m sure that she would know better than anyone,” she said as she released the necklace. “You will need to stay here for a couple more hours so that your body has time to adjust.” She said before getting up and moving back to her desk.

I laid there thinking about what I was just told. Was it really possible that I had magic? I mean, I guess in a sense, the ability to become a wolf was like magic. Then I wondered if Ariel knew what she had bought me, or if it was really just a luck of the draw kind of thing. As soon as I got out of here, I would need to talk with my aunt. Perhaps she had some insight into what was going on with me.

After a couple of hours, my body seemed to calm down. I still felt stiff, but I could move. The nurse checked me one last time, then allowed me to leave. She gave me directions on getting back to the main hall and then instructed me to get more rest. I nodded, then headed for the main hall. Soon it would be dinner time, and I felt like I hadn’t eaten all day.

When I finally made it to the main hall, Keaira was already there. It seemed that she had been waiting for me. She got up and walked towards me, hugging me when we were close enough.

“You scared me. You didn’t tell me that you were a witch too,” she said as she released me. It was nice knowing that she was worried about me, but her excitement threw me off guard.

“I didn’t know. I don’t think my aunt or mom knew either,” I said. Even as I said it, part of me doubted that was true. After everything else that was hidden from me, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they already knew. “Wait, how did you know? Did the nurse tell you?”

“No, what happened to you, happened to me a couple of years ago. When I saw you collapsing, I rushed over to catch you. You know, for a girl your size, you were quite heavy to carry. I guess that has to do with the wolf in you, though.” She said, blushing. I couldn’t believe that she had carried me to the nurse's office. I immediately felt terrible.

“You look as pale as a ghost. Here, I know this is going to be weird for you, but you need to drink,” Keaira said before grabbing my hand and dragging me behind the grand staircase. I wondered briefly what she was talking about until we were completely under the stairs. Then she pulled out her thermos.

“Keaira, I can’t. What if someone sees me,” I protested. She shook her head and placed her finger over my mouth.

“No one is around, and you can’t just deny the vampire in you just because you are scared. I told you that you would need to feed. If you don’t, who knows what will happen,” she said. Deep down, I knew she was right. Reluctantly I took her thermos and opened the lid. Even before I looked inside it, the rich scent of the blood called to me. It was intoxicating. Hesitantly I brought it to my mouth and took a small sip.

As the blood touched my tongue, my entire body reacted to it. It was like when you first bit into a piece of chocolate. I took another drink and could feel a change in my body. I wasn’t as tired, and I didn’t feel as cold. And then there were two sharp pains in my upper jaw. I didn’t have to question what the pain was, as I felt the tips of my new fangs pressed against my bottom lip. Great, how was I supposed to hide them?

“Well, I was right,” Keaira said, standing there triumphantly. I growled at her and was surprised at the sound. It should have sounded annoyed, but instead, it sounded very sexy. I wondered if it was because of the vampire half of me. And I wasn’t the only one surprised. Looking at Keaira, I could see her blushing. It was cute. A pale little vampire blushing at the noise coming out of me.

“Thank you, Keaira. I will have to return the favor someday. “ I said, handing back the thermos. She shook her head and took the thermos.

“There is no need to repay me. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Now we should probably go see the others so that they know that you are alright,” Keaira said, yet again dragging me by the arm. Then she stopped and turned around. For a moment, it looked as though she was thinking about something. Then without a word, she kissed me on the cheek, blushing as she pulled away.

“What was that for,” I asked, feeling my own blush spread across my face.

“It was my way of saying that I was glad that you are okay,” she said, then turned around and dragged me towards the entrance. I followed her, dazed by what had transpired. I wanted to say more, but my heart was pounding so loud that I couldn’t hear myself think. I just let her lead the way.