Blood of Immortals | Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Aroa! Come down now, or the teachers will scold you again!”

“Are they already there?” I asked Ruse. “If not, just give me another minute. I’ll come down later.”

“Oh, come on! What is it with you and the roof?” she asked, clearly annoyed. I’d skipped all my classes this morning. Again.

I jumped down and looked at her. I didn’t want to anger her. She’s my only best friend, the only one who understands and tolerates the freaky me, the one who covers for my pranks and pleads my innocence—even when I’m obviously guilty. Yup, that’s Ruse. Losing her would be losing everything. After all, she’s all I have. No family. No parents. No siblings. Just her.

“I just want some peace,” I said, trying to sound pitiful. “You already know how the other demon wolves treat us. They’re terrible!” I crossed my arms for added effect.

“I know, but we’re omegas,” she said, tapping my shoulder. “They’ll always see themselves as superior to us.”

“It’s still unfair,” I mumbled. “We’re all demons.”

“If you keep resisting your fate, you’ll always have a hard time,” Ruse said, her face hard.

“Just go with the flow. Everyone has a role in this world.”

“And our role is just to be their slaves?” I shot back. “I don’t believe that. I can’t. I never will.”

“Aroa—”

“They said the queen of the wolves abolished the slavery system before!” I said indignantly.

“But now she’s gone,” Ruse countered. “She abandoned her duties after the first war of Gods and Demons. That’s why the alphas of the wolf clan were able to bring this system back.”

Frustration bubbled inside me. I’m naturally jolly, but I’m also stubborn. Deep down, I knew Ruse was right, but something inside me refused to surrender. Maybe that’s why so many people call me stupid. I’ve never learned to hold back, even when it earned me floggings. The scars on my back are proof of that.

Suddenly, the door behind me opened, revealing Mrs. Robins, my math teacher. Her colorful clothes looked three sizes too small, and for some reason, she reminded me of doughnuts. Colorful, round doughnuts. And yeah, she looked terrible. As always.

“Ma’am, I have asthma. I need fresh air,” I said, feigning a cough.

“Stop fooling me, Smith!” she snapped. “You do not have asthma!”

“But ma’am—”

“No more excuses! Help clean the cafeteria. That’s your punishment for skipping classes.”
Great. I almost choked on my own saliva pretending to cough, and now I had to clean the cafeteria. I could have died, you know!

“Are we clear?” Mrs. Robins demanded, glaring at me.

“Yes, ma’am,” I finally replied. What choice did I have?

Later, I went to the cafeteria to help clean. Despite breaking a few plates, the kitchen lady didn’t scold me. She was kind and patient.

I was busy sweeping the floor when I saw the root of all evil approaching. I needed to escape, pronto.

“Hey there, slave!” Martina said. There she was, the root, the ancestor, the origin—whatever—of evil. I was a step too late.

“Hey there, grandma!” I thought but didn’t dare say aloud. Instead, I ignored her. She’s the Beta’s daughter, and fighting her would do me more harm than good.

“Omega!” she barked, grabbing my arm. “Are you deaf?”

“What?” I asked, trying to ignore the sting of her nails digging into my skin.

A crowd began to gather. Weren’t they going to call the teachers? I hated to admit it, but in this moment, I really missed them. Where were they when I needed them most?

“Since you’ve embraced being a slave, why don’t you clean more?” Martina sneered. She let go of my arm, grabbed the trash can I’d just filled, and poured its contents all over me.

On me.

On me.

Really, Martina? You just had to push me to my breaking point?

“There! Be with your fellow trash, omega!” she laughed, the sound grating and cruel.

I tried to calm myself. This isn’t right, Aroa, I told myself. Don’t do it. Your life will be even messier if you give in. Stop.

Stop.

But my hands had already grabbed the bucket of dirty water. They had already decided this woman needed to be cleansed of her evil deeds. And so, against my better judgment, I poured the dirty water all over her.

“Ah!!!” Martina screamed. There. She’s clean now.

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