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The sun is setting and for humans, the day is winding down but for Zayn Malik and the race of benign vampires he’s living with, the day is only just beginning. He drags himself out of bed, slapping his hand on his alarm strategically placed across the room from his bed as he makes his way to the bathroom. Most students don’t have an en suite bathroom, but Zayn Malik is not only part of a secret race of vampires. Nope, he’s special.
The Moroi are a race of vampires who feed off humans but don’t kill their victims, if you can even call them that considering they willingly give up their blood for the high the vampire bite gives them. They take what they need to survive and, in return, live mortal lives with the added bonus of having access to the four elemental groups of magic: Earth, Fire, Air and Water. As they mature, Moroi will continue to have access to all four groups but find an affinity for one. A fifth element, Spirit, that allows Moroi to heal, bring back the dead and restore Strigoi to their former selves was only recently discovered.
Strigoi are evil vampires who are immortal, impossibly fast and nearly indestructible. Strigoi are either corrupted Moroi who have killed their food source or Dhampirs or Moroi forcibly turned. There’s a high price, though. Strigoi get immortality but lose their humanity, their access to magic and the ability to walk in the sunlight. Sun may weaken Moroi, but it kills Strigoi. Having lost their consciences, they begin hunting Moroi and Dhampirs. Moroi have only recently started using their magic offensively. It’s a controversial tactic and not everyone is on board with it. Before that, they relied entirely on Dhampirs for protection.
While Moroi have lanky builds, Dhampirs are built for combat. Theirs builds are more like humans with the added health benefits being a Moroi has. This mix is because Dhampirs were once the result of Moroi and human couplings. When vampires went into hiding and these interactions became frowned upon, Dhampirs luckily found that while they can’t reproduce with one another, they can keep their race (and the Moroi they protect) going through reproducing with a Moroi.
And Zayn? He’s none of the above. Not human, Dhampir, Moroi or Strigoi. He’s something else entirely. Which is why rather than spend his days going to classes with other Moroi and Dhampirs, he spends his days being studied and prodded with needles.
It makes for a rather disheartening existence. But he tries not to focus on that this morning, or any morning, really. He takes his shower, dresses in a pair of light blue wash jeans, a black graphic tee with lyrics on the front and his trademark leather jacket. He musses his hair a bit with his styling gel and lifts his chin, steeling himself for the day ahead.
When he goes into the living room, Liam Payne, dressed all in black as is typical guardian attire, stands awaiting Zayn’s arrival. He’s the main guardian assigned to his case. The other Dhampirs, only needed for transporting Zayn to and from the lab are waiting outside the door. In here, his luxurious prison, the risk to his life is minimal but there have been attacks during these walks and every precaution must be taken. He’s an anomaly. He cannot die before they discover what he is and how to harness whatever makes him special for their use.
There are worse people he could be stuck in here with, he thinks. Liam is stoic and taciturn like all guardians are. He gives nothing away in his tone or expression but there’s a definite softness and warmth to his brown eyes that is lacking in the other guardians. And his aura. Most guardians have a brilliant red aura with a surrounding royal blue that signifies their passionate natures ruled by their protectiveness of others. But Liam’s is a lemon yellow with a bright metallic silver and gold mixture. It enraptures Zayn.
These are the colors that had made Zayn hesitate that very first night.
“Mr. Malik,” Liam nods to him. His eyes travel down his body and Zayn would have wanted to believe that even in this hellhole, his attractiveness could serve some purpose but he knows that Liam is only offering him this cursory glance to check him over for injury.
“Liam.” Zayn goes over to the dining room table where there is a glass of blood already waiting for him. Normally, vampires feed directly from their blood source but no one knows what a bite from Zayn will do. Zayn does, of course, but he sees no reason to enlighten them. The longer these tests run, as tedious as they are, the longer he has to formulate a plan for escape.
There’s a flash of something when Zayn says his name, too quick for him to decipher.
“There’s been a situation and you’re to remain here today.”
“Oh?” He asks. There has not been a day without some sort of examination from Mrs. Tanner, a Moroi who had once chosen to become Strigoi to combat Spirit’s negative effects and was only recent restored. She has made it her mission to create a vaccine that would protect all Moroi and Dhampirs from turning into these undead, immoral creatures. He can’t imagine what could be more important to her now.
Liam only nods offering no explanation.
“I wonder what we should do instead,” he says and takes a step toward him. Liam swallows, bringing a smirk to Zayn’s lips. There is the faintest blush on his cheeks but his gaze is steady and sure. So controlled.
“You can do anything you like so long as you remain in your rooms,” Liam replies.
He’s tempted to tease him and begin asking the hundreds of questions he’s thought of during his captivity. Zayn so rarely has the time and opportunity to suss out what makes Liam the way he is. He has a fascination with what makes people tick. He thinks that it’s a by-product of being a Spirit user. When you can see what someone is feeling, the driving forces behind their personality, it’s natural that you’ll want to know what put them there.
But Zayn has a full day free for the first time in the months he’s been here. He can do anything he wants to do and with no tests to tire him and darken his mood, what he really wants to focus on is finding a way out.
It would be the fastest course to use compulsion on Liam and have him help plan the escape. He only has today, he realizes. The one day no one will be looking for him and the faster he can get away, the more time he has to put distance between himself and his abductors. But a human magic user had somehow given Liam and Zayn’s other frequent guards immunity to compulsion to prevent this very thing.
He looks into the lemon yellow light around Liam and finds himself saying, “I never thanked you.” Liam’s head rises, a question in his eyes. “For leaving my sisters be.”
“We only needed one of you,” he says. His voice is detached and sends a chill through Zayn.
“I have an affinity for the five elements. I was second in my class before you lot found out about me and forced me on the run. I know it would’ve been easier to have someone else. A control group, but you let them go anyway,” he says, taking a step forward. “I’m grateful.” Liam fixes his eyes on the wall. It forces a sad sort of smile on Zayn’s lips. “It’s a good thing, Liam.”
He turns away and starts toward his bedroom. “It means I won’t have to kill you when I leave.”