Dhampirica

IV

AT PRECISELY 7:00AM ON SATURDAY, a sleek black car came around to pick Yvanna up in front of the Academy's wrought iron gates. It was a strangely quiet day. Yvanna could recall the age-old fanfare and celebration every time a dhampir left the Academy to go do field work. In the past, it was normal to celebrate such a momentous occasion. However, there was no ceremony prepared for her or any of her fellow graduates today. All she received was eight sets of her new staple all-black uniform and a knife with the Academy's motto carved into the hilt. These were dire times, and there was not a moment to waste with frivolities when nobles were at risk.

Still, Yvanna could not help but feel mild disappointment at not having met Lord Dante Romaniello yet. She had expected a momentous introduction where she would swear fealty to him, but all she got was a one-on-one discussion with the Academy's legal representative where they went over the terms of her contract. Now she was being shipped off to the Romaniellos without so much as a 'welcome'. She supposed she would just have to adjust to the informality of it all.  

As she approached the car, the door opened automatically for her, and when she seated herself inside on the plush black leather seats, it closed behind her too. Being her first time outside of the Academy, it was also her first time in a car. There was a tinted window partition between her and the front seats, which lowered to reveal the 'driver' in the front. He technically did not drive the car so much as input a destination on the GPS and instruct it where to go, as there was no wheel to steer. Cars drove themselves ninety-nine percent of the time.

The vampire turned around to face her, and Yvanna was taken aback by how old and greyed he looked. Most vampires were not that aged, unless they have lived for a very long time. Even Jonathon, as old as he was, looked to be in his mid-forties by human standards.

"My name is Soren," he said, with a rather severe expression for their first time meeting. "My duty is to drive Lord Riccardo and Lord Dante to wherever they wish to go, and if they so ask, to drive their guests. I will be taking you to the Romaniellos' estate today. Lord Dante's schedule was forwarded to you earlier this week. I presume you've read it?" He turned back around as the car began to move.

"I have. He's currently at a fencing lesson until 9:30. He has lunch at 2:00 with the Azzaros, and then a dinner party at 7:00 at Clairmont Hotel." She tapped on her watch, instructing it to display the entire month's schedule, and noticed that the name 'Azzaro' popped up quite frequently. "It seems he meets the Azzaros quite often."

"The Romaniello family and the Azzaro family have ties. They've known each other for over a century," he said, without elaborating any further. "I will take you to the estate to get settled in and show you about the place. After that, we'll be going to pick up Lord Dante from his lesson. I will accompany you, of course. Although Lord Riccardo is away at work, he trusts that you will begin your duties, as per your contract, right away."

"I understand."

"Good. We will arrive at the estate in fifty-four minutes, so feel free to relax. And please, put on your seatbelt."

As predicted, it was exactly fifty-four minutes later when they arrived at the Romaniellos' estate. Thankfully, both the Romaniello estate and Crossgrave Academy were located in the First District, which comprised the states formerly known as Illinois and parts of Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Yvanna was grateful that she did not have to travel to any districts that would warrant a plane flight. There were a total of 34 districts in the United Districts, reaching as far as Old Mexico and Old Canada, and Yvanna was one of the lucky few to be able to remain in the one she had grown up in.

The Romaniello estate was vast and did not shy away from showcasing its opulence. The whole lot must have been about twenty acres large and was surrounded by dense woodland, save for the hind end of the property which was bordered by a large river. The entire estate was edged with tall unscalable steel gates, and each side of the lot had two guards patrolling along the fence, except for the posterior which was naturally guarded by virtue of it being a cliff. Within the property, there were a number of delicately manicured hedges, trees, and walking trails. There were no personnel patrolling the gardens, but Yvanna could spy security cameras carefully tucked away among the trees, which she was sure monitored almost every single inch of the property.