The Guide To Being A Vampire [BL]

It's kind of surprising how easily Sebastian agreed. It's been at least two weeks since I first asked him to join us. My days have been packed—classes in the mornings, side missions at night with Shira, and assignments in between.

It's exhausting, sure, but technically, if you think about it, I'm undercover. And honestly? It's fun. Back when I was studying at Zaudseth (a prestigious Magic Academy in England), I never really had time to make friends.

Now, I have Kath and Sebastian. Somehow, living a normal life is more fun than I'd ever imagined. We go to arcades, eat out, and even hit the mall to help Kath pick out dresses. Though, judging by the look on Sebastian's face during those shopping trips, he'd rather be anywhere else. Still, it's enjoyable.

But lately, Shira has been noticing my absence on our side missions. I've been skipping out, leaving her to handle the heavy lifting alone.

Look, I told myself I'd tell her the moment Sebastian agreed to help. But lately, she's been stressed, snappy, and busier than ever. I just haven't found the right moment.

I know what you're thinking: Why are you scared of her? She's just your PA.

Well… Shira is terrifying. You wouldn't want to make her mad—she'd toss you off a bridge without a second thought. She may be my PA now, but back when I was a student at Zaudseth, she was my trainer. And believe me when I tell you, she's ruthless.

"Silas, focus. Just because you've been granted a license doesn't mean you can slack off," Shira snaps, her voice sharp as I summon a shield to block a stab from her sword. I push her back with a blast of energy and use a wind spell to leap over her next attack.

Mid-air, she grabs my ankle and yanks me down, slamming me against the cold, unforgiving floor with a sickening thud.

"Ow," I groan, the air knocked out of my lungs as I struggle to sit up. Shira walks over, bending down to offer me a hand. I take it, and she hoists me to my feet.

"Lately, I've noticed you've been gone more than you should be," she says, her tone sharp but calm. "Not only have I been left to do all the work, but you haven't even bothered to tell me what's been keeping you so busy."

I stifle a groan, brushing the dust off my clothes. "I've just been… busy with stuff," I mumble, avoiding her piercing gaze.

"Stuff, huh?" Her eyes narrow as I flash a sheepish grin and shrug.

"Hey, I'm undercover as a high school kid, remember? I've got assignments, tests, and quizzes to take care of," I reason weakly. Shira raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

"And because of that, we still haven't found the last werewolf that attacked us weeks ago," she says, her voice lowering. "Silas, I need your help. You know I can't detect magical activity like you can."

I wince, guilt gnawing at me. She's right. Skipping missions is definitely insensitive on my part.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Shira isn't your typical mage. Like me, she holds the title of High Class Mage, but her situation is unique. She was born into a renowned Dark Mage family, but unlike her siblings, she can't use magic.

It's not that she doesn't have magic—it's that her body can't handle it. Instead, she channels her untapped magical energy into weapons. Her favorite? Guns. The bullets she fires are infused with so much magic, they can pierce through anything. She's basically the embodiment of "don't bring a sword to a gunfight."

Despite her inability to cast spells, she's the best fighter I've ever met. Some mages look down on her, saying she doesn't deserve the title of High Class Mage, but they're wrong. If anyone deserves it, it's her.

"I—well, yeah, sorry." I crossed my arms in guilt and bit my lip. I really did want to tell Shira about Sebastian now. I knew she tended to turn her nose up at vampires, especially after dealing with so many of them that I could barely count them on both hands.

She had certainly encountered her fair share of disgusting vampires back in her day, and I knew Sebastian would most likely receive disdain instead of a warm reception.

I hadn't even noticed I'd stopped speaking until I snapped back to the present. By then, I was already sitting at the dining table, watching Shira prepare food for the two of us.

From the living room, the faint sound of the TV news hummed in the background.

"Shira," I called to the older woman. She let out a grunt to let me know she'd heard me.

"What do you think about vampires?" I asked, immediately regretting it. The question was obvious and random, especially considering our main mission was tracking down a dangerous Pureblood Vampire wreaking havoc in Portland.

Shira shot me a sharp look before walking over with two glasses of water. She set them on the table and sat down across from me.

"You're asking an obvious question. Why? Did you find something about Minerva?" she asked, picking up her fork as I rubbed my hands together nervously.

"No, not yet. But I… I asked for help," I began, watching her brow arch in suspicion.

"Help?" she echoed, her tone tinged with confusion.

I let out a nervous chuckle, nodding. "I met someone—"

"Someone knows about our… confidential mission?" If her brow could've gone any higher, it would've shot through the ceiling. The dubious look she gave me made my stomach churn.

"Well—hold on, let me explain. No need to get all tense," I said quickly, waving my hands to calm her down. But Shira's glare didn't waver.

"Silas," she said, her tone sharp. "I know this is your first mission since earning the title of High-Class Mage, but that doesn't mean you can just go around telling people what you're doing." She pointed her fork at me accusingly.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Like anyone would believe me?" I countered.

She huffed, but I could tell my point had landed. After all, not only was magic considered a legend to most people, but anyone who claimed they practiced it would likely be labeled crazy—or worse, sent to an asylum.

Really, the only threat I could see was someone calling me insane. And that was that.

"Look," I finally said, cutting to the chase, "I found the vampire Minerva turned."

Shira froze. Her spoon and fork clattered to her plate as she turned to me, eyes wide.

"You what? Where are they now?" she demanded.

I held up a hand to stop her. "The person I asked for help is the vampire Minerva turned," I admitted.

Shira stared at me, her expression darkening.

"What," she said, her voice dropping ominously.

And just like that, I knew I was in for another "training session" in the practice room.

—

"Weeks of us being here, and you're getting chummy with a vampire," Shira huffs, pinching the bridge of her nose. I force myself to sit up from the ground, my arms burning and my chest heaving as I pant from sheer exhaustion.

I wasn't exaggerating when I said she gave me the beating of a lifetime—she really didn't hold back. My entire body ached, and I felt like the living embodiment of a walking bruise.

"I was not being chummy with a vampire," I groaned as I sat up, only to wilt under Shira's glare. She stood over me, arms crossed and sneering.

"You lied to me, that's what you mean," she snapped. "And now you're trying to act like this… whoever this kid is, is a different kind of vampire. What if he had lost control and bitten you? What if he took your blood?"

She hissed her words as I clambered to my feet, brushing myself off and sighing.

"Shira, I'm not some helpless child. I'm prepared for every moment, every fight. I've been honing my skills since I was a kid. For gods' sake, I'm a Gael," I refuted sharply.

It was true. I wasn't some fragile prince who needed protecting. My whole life had been dedicated to one thing: perfecting my spellcraft. Being a member of the Gael family meant I had countless cousins doing the same thing. It also meant I had to work twice as hard to stand out among them.

That's why I'm the youngest High-Class Mage of my generation—nobody else has reached this level at just sixteen years old. I really wish Shira would stop infantilizing me just because I'm technically still a minor.

Her face softened for a moment before hardening again. "Fine," she said, her tone clipped. "Bring that boy here tomorrow. I'll see if he's as 'different' as you say he is."

I smirked. Bingo.

"Trust me," I said, patting her shoulder lightly. "He's probably the first vampire you'll meet with 'pacifist' in his last name."

Shira huffed, rolling her eyes. "I sure hope so. If not, you know what I do to vampires."

I nodded.

Shira's hatred for vampires wasn't exactly unwarranted. With the influx of vampires nationwide, countless Middle-Class Mages had risked, and often lost, their lives fighting them, all because some purebloods couldn't resist their twisted idea of fun.

But Sebastian was different. I truly believed that.

For one, he slept instead of hunting for blood. Even when I offered him some, he rarely accepted—once a week, if that, and sometimes not at all. It made me wonder why he joined me in the first place.

Maybe he was just curious about the magical side of the world.

Over the past three weeks, I'd gotten to know him pretty well. He was strange in his own way—unexpectedly funny at times—and surprisingly easy to be around.

Honestly, he and Kath were probably the first real friends I'd had in a long time.

I used to have friends back at the academy, but even then… I guess I was too good at everything. I left them behind without even realizing it.

I wonder how they're doing now.