A bride between bloodlines

Broken

VELVERA

Hate, love, broken and not yours to be?

SEVEN YEARS AGO, FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE.

Thanks to the frustrating traffic and having to tend to my sick mother, I was already locked out from class. From the glass window, I tried to steal a peak at what the environment looked like, while rummaging through my bag for my glasses, but it slipped from my grip and its content scattered into the tiled floor, gathering a bit of attention.

Just great.

Glancing around, I muttered a small apology and began to pick my things; gums, pocket perfume, earpod, my phone, a book, pen, my sketch note and my mother's hairpin. But someone beat me to the last one. My eyes slowly scanned whoever it was from her expensive fur boots, midi denim skirt with a curve slit at its side and a cowl neck top. The corners of her lips were lifted in a smirk and her blue eyes glinted with delight.

Goodness! Not today.

“How much does this even cost?” Her soft voice rasped. “It looks so cheap.”

Getting on my feet, I snatched the pin from her. “If it doesn't sit well with you that it's all I can spare, you might as well get me a new one.” My voice was laced with irritation.

“Ask your poor father to do that, bitch.”

I took a deep breath, gathering every form of restraint in me. But even if I didn't gather them, I couldn't lay a finger on her.

Ginger was my high school mate and the wealthiest kid at school, thanks to her father's direct relationship with the former king. At the ripe age of eleven, her powers were almost in full form as a seer and by graduation, she had become one of the most powerful seers. She was everything I wasn't and attribute of hers was enviable, even by me. Sadly, unlike her powers which brought about her almost impossible beauty, her character belonged to the gutters.

“I will grant you pardon because it's your first day in school.” she replied calmly, and with a small pat to my shoulder, she walked out. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she didn't embarrass me like the usual days.

My focus shifted back to the class, this time with my glasses and I recognized my best friends, Lara, Claude and Logan.

Lara was hybrid, her dad a gifter and her mom, a doomer. Brown almond eyes, thick brows and round face the size of a palm, she was particularly petite but a handful of trouble. Her mom died during her delivery and she picked up most of her powers. She could shapeshift, erase memories and foresee things. Evil things actually.

As for Logan, he was the last child of four, pure doomer breed with powers of shape shifting, death spirit– think of the grim reaper– and sometimes, invisibility. Like now, he wasn't present in class but I could tell the vacant seat besides Lara was his.

Who the hell goes invisible with their glasses hanging in the air?

Finally, there was Claude.

Waist-length brown hair, green eyes and a face straight out of a book, she was simply ethereal. You could never get enough because staring for long makes her suck in your memories. The night we met her, she had just murdered her spirit animal for God knows why and needed help. We agreed to keep her secret and eventually took her in. She was quiet, extremely introverted and avoided troubles like a plague, even though she was a full gifter.

Together, the four of us were who were granted scholarship by the Santiago's family, to the most prestigious schools of Grayes. After all, birds of the same feathers flocked together.

But, were we really of the same feathers if I can't manifest any power unlike them?

Lara’s eyes caught mine and a smile instantly crossed her lips. Glancing back to be sure that the professor wasn't looking, she gestured for me to take the back door which she had purposely left open. I protested at first, scared of getting caught on my first day, but when two people brooded from the rat hole giggling, I thought to try my luck. I snuzzled between the aisles to get to the seat she had kept for me but suddenly bumped into a sturdy flesh.

I hadn't even passed the second row.

Once again, my eyes slowly traced the figure. This time, i didn't bother to know what he looked like because it was clear. Only a seer could pull that kind of presence. Instead, I thought to search his face for some pity but his jaw dropping beauty crashed my ass to the cold floor, causing a ripple of laughter to erupt from almost everyone.

His brown hair was curled in a disturbing way, but satisfying to admire. It almost covered his gray eyes which were barricaded by the bold glasses that sat at the bridge of his nose. His chin was well shaped– no, structured– to perfection and a set of diamond studs clasped to his ear lobe.

God! I had never seen someone so.. so…

Captivating.

With arched brows, his eyes bore into my soul and I let them, if it meant having a few seconds to marinate in them. However, my fantasy was interrupted by another wild laughter that sprang from room.

“You're creepy, doomer girl.” I heard a voice say.

“Why the hell is she staring like that?” Another complained, a male one this time.

“I would shove that marker down her throat if it was me.” They laughed, throwing scornful looks my way.

The shame made my cheeks flush crimson.

“Quiet everyone!”

Damn, his voice was like a melody to my ears.

Girl! Get a f*****g grip.

His gaze still boring into mine, he leaned down and fanned my face with his minty cologne.

“Are you gonna gawk forever?”

Flustered, I quickly scrambled upright and bowed my head in regret, bitting my lower lip till it bruised.

“I'm sorry.” I muttered but he said nothing, though he was still towering over me, despite standing two stairs under me.

You are doomed, Velvera.

Trembling, I tried to raise my head to peek at him, but his firm hand gripped my chin, and I winced from the intensity. Slowly, he straightened my posture, his lips now a small curve.

“Disrupting my class on the first day?”

My breath hitched.

I was never lucky with playing cheat.

“No ..sir..” I managed to mutter, tears already gathering at the corner of my eyes. “I was just.. trying… wanted…I..”

Good heavens.

That was all I could mutter inwardly as he placed a ringed finger on my lips.

“Why don't you explain yourself properly before the class?” He mocked and my eyes widened. “What do you think?”

The tears finally fell.

“Please..” it was all futile. I was already being dragged to the massive pulpit before two thousand arts students, to give a reason why I had to interrupt their class.

That was my first encounter with Camino de Santiago.

Enough reason to hate someone right?

So I hated him.

I hated the way he humiliated me.

I hated the way the class laughed.

I hated the way his mint scent lingered in my lungs long after he walked away.

Most of all,

I hated that I kept thinking about him.

I tried avoiding him in every circumstance we came across, clinging to the hope that he was just covering for our main professor. However, he covered for him for the whole year, and slowly, we began to trust each other.

I realized it all after my twentieth birthday. The nineteenth theory I tried so hard to avoid, had actually happened.

And mine left me broken…