Tail of the Devil by Danielle DeVor Read Free Book Online Page A

at the hands of the Turks?”
    “Oh Mathias, that is a story for another day. But, I digress. You will find out everything soon enough.
    “As I was saying, because this school is as it is, if you find yourself expelled for any reason, you will no longer be recognized by the governing council. In smaller instances, this means that you are simply ignored. In more serious situations, it means death.”
    “Since when do vampires have a government?”
    “Mathias. The council was started by your namesake. It is made up of the eldest living members of our kind. It is this council that ensures that the world still believes that vampires are mere fantasy. If you abide by the laws I teach you, you will never have to concern yourself with the council.”
    “Is the council just the council?” Mathias scratched his ear, bored.
    “We call it, ‘The Order of the Dragon’. The humans liked it and made a version of it a part of their church in the 1400’s. Now it is ours again.”
    “So, if I do something the council doesn’t like, will they kill me?”
    Tepes shook his head. “Trust me; you don’t want to find out.”
    They passed through another hallway and into a courtyard. Medieval stonework surrounded the garden. Each brick seemed to have its own place. Amongst the stone was a mixture made of various types of small pebbles. He was reminded of the look of Roman cement he’d seen in history books in school.
    Around each pillar at each arch that indicated a hallway, there was a bed of flowers surrounding the base. It looked like the type of castle you see in fairy tales, not the type of castle that you would expect Dracula to live in. Mathias stopped. There in the middle of the courtyard was a great statue. He had never seen anything like it.
    It was a tall, winged figure that was made of bronze; its patina shimmered in the light of the sun. Something about the statue made him feel contradictory, almost as if he was calmed at the sight of it, but upset that it was on display.
    “Yes... That, I do believe, is your namesake.”
    * * * * *
    Mathias allowed Master Tepes to lead him across the courtyard, and into another hallway.
    “This building is comprised of the dorms for each year. Exceptions are given to various special societies on campus that accept members in the upper years. There are no separations between years in the dorms for the special societies. Nevertheless, the dorms have a hierarchy all their own—the first years being on the top floor. While that does provide for extra protection, it has more to do with the upperclassmen not wanting to climb the stairs.”
    Mathias was bored. He stood off to the side rubbing his wings against the stone of the building, lost in the ecstasy that the good scratch provided.
    Tepes paused and rolled his eyes. “I know I am long winded, but this is information that you need to know.”
    Mathias sighed and pulled himself away from the wall.
    * * * * *
    Tepes took a good look at Mathias. He thought that although the boy had lived through much in his short years, he was salvageable. He was still a child, and that was a good thing. He wasn’t completely lost. It would take time, but he never had to worry about that. He was a vampire, after all. But nevertheless, he must take care to ease the boy into their world. As it was, the child was much too thin and pale, and coming from a vampire, that meant something. “Mathias, are you all right?”
    Mathias turned to Tepes. He watched as the child wiped his face with his hands.
    “Why?” Mathias asked.
    “You do not look well.”
    The boy smiled. “Nah, all this is just weird. So, uh, how long is this going to take?”
    * * * * *
    They left the dorms and entered another hallway. Mathias wondered how he was ever going to remember how to get around in this place. But then, he got used to Nic’s, so he could get used to the castle.
    “This is the building in which classes are held. As I am sure you’ve noticed, it is quite dark. Some