0245: The Vampire's Daughter Book Three

The first week she was at the school, an older girl asked, "Why do you need private lessons? Are you stupid?"

Susan didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. In fact she said very little to anyone other than her tutors, Mary and Mina. Mina also happened to be the school's main benefactor.

The school, called Our Lady of Penance, though it had no religious affiliation, had been around for over a hundred years. Mina started it to help save street children from ending up as prostitutes, or worse. It was sort of a pet project that took on a life of its own. They knew her as the great granddaughter of the founder and treated her with a great deal of respect.

Mina also routinely deposited children in the school. Kids she picked up on the streets and personally transported to England. This was, however, the first time she remained to oversee a child.

Mina remaining put the headmistress on edge, which made her just a little meaner than usual. She didn't show that side of herself to Mina, though Mina was well aware that it existed, and, instead, took out her frustration at being watched on the kids. Particularly her newest pupil, Susan, who was obviously to blame for the increased scrutiny.

Susan never said anything to Mary or Mina about how she was being treated. Nor did she talk about how much she missed Claudia. She did tell them that she often dreamed of Sabastian, and that he was O.K., but not good. Neither really knew what to do with that information.

The lessons Mina taught weren't your typical school drills. She was teaching Susan to meditate and to control her thoughts. Mary, meanwhile, taught her to fight.

At this particular night's lesson, Susan asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

Looking at Susan, Mina said, "Because you are special."

"How do you know?"

"There is no point playing games, Susan. You may not know what you are destined for, but you know that it is larger than you. There is greatness in your eyes, your words, in what you know even when there is no way that you could know it.

"I don't know for certain where it comes from or where you are headed, but I feel deep within that I must help."

"Even when it requires you to disobey your sire?" Susan asked.

"Obviously."

"Your sire thinks I'm here to destroy you," Susan said.

"Yes," responded Mina.

"What do you think?"

"I think... I think you are here to destroy some of us. And I'm hedging my bets by helping you," Mina said before asking, "Why do you think you're here?"

Susan shrugged and went back to her exercises.

As she meditated, Mina went to Mary and said, "It's amazing that she can know so much and yet so little." Mary didn't reply, as she often thought that Susan simply didn’t wish to divulge how much she really did know.


[The Vampire's Daughter: An ongoing vampire story. Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006. All rights reserved.]
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