SIXTY-EIGHT | TUTOR

"How has the training with Yuri been going?" Hale asks me the next morning. Mom's just left for the morning and Hale came early to collect yesterday's homework and school assignments. We're sitting together at the island, sipping coffee like this is a normal thing. I set my coffee mug down and give him the highlights of the previous day.

"Oh, you know, he kicked my ass." I chirp, actually excited for our next lesson. "But I've learned a lot." Yuri's style aligns more with how I'm used to learning: trial by fire. I'm sore and achy, but it's not like my body's devouring me from the inside out - the way I had been feeling these last few days after Mikyle's 'trainings'.

"I'm glad to hear it. Starting today, you'll also be spending some time in the Coven with that tutor I promised." Hale nods and finishes up the last of his coffee. "We've been getting some troubling reports from our scouts about the activity around Reinier controlled ports. We think some of their European allies may be sending reinforcements for a battle."

"B-battle?" I stutter, nearly spitting out my coffee. "They can't be stupid enough to actually try to attack-"

"None of their strategies have worked yet." Hale reminds me. "You're still alive, and many of your allies are still fighting on your side."

"My side," I scoff, but feel the weight of his words echo in my head.

"So in the meantime, we're going to need to accelerate your training. And that includes filling you in - knowledge wise." Hale remarks, taking both our mugs to the sink and preparing to leave. With me. I assume.

"What is there I could learn from a tutor that would help me in this situation?" I roll my eyes, wondering if this is some king of stall-tactic to keep me from being attacked. Keep me inside the walls of the Coven or the Azure territory to make sure I'm not an easy target.

"That's exactly why I'm taking you to the tutor." Hale sighs, shaking his head at me and gesturing for me to follow him as we begin the long walk to the Coven. I really hate when he gets this cryptic, but I've also learned this is one way he keeps from scaring me with too much information too soon.

The idea that the Reiniers could be calling in help from their allies over little ol' me is troubling to say the least. And I have the itching suspicion that I'm missing more than whatever they're planning as a whole. I'm positive now that my life isn't the only thing they're after. That, in turn, makes me eager to start learning more about the history of both halves of me. Wolven *and* vampire.

However, I'm a little nervous to be talking one-on-one with a vamp that isn't Hale or Mikyle. The few times I've spoken or met other vampires, I've gotten mixed reactions. Spending hours with one? It's enough to make me feel a little queasy. But the second we walk into the main building of the Coven, Hale's bombarded by fast-talking vampires - a few I recognize from the other day's introductions.

"Big developments-!" One young woman chirps, shoving a report at my father.

"They're on the move-" Elliot pipes up at the same time, the two narrowing their eyes at each other as Hale struggles to collect both stacks of papers.

"Their guard is down-" Another man tries to get Hale's attention, but they're shoved aside by another vampire.

"We should advance-" At least four others are suddenly at Hale's side, all now hissing at each other and offering their opinions as Hale begins to flip through the reports.

"One at a time, please," Hale frowns, looking over the rambunctious gaggle who are now in full-on mob mode and pulling him towards the war room. "Your tutor's waiting for you in the conference room, Scarlett." Hale calls back to me before leaving to follow the posy of vampires with fresh reports and updates. I watch the huddle walking around him, unable to stop from picturing the way a politician looks a few days away from elections. I sigh, shaking my head before climbing the stairs to go to the third floor where the conference room is.

My fingers linger on the banister near the second floor, wishing I could ditch and just hide out in my room. But I chose fight - not flight - so I pick my head up and continue up the next flight to the third floor. Down the bare walls of the hall and pause in front of the door with the little name plate printed with the words Conference Room. I take a deep breath before knocking and opening the door to face my tutor.

A familiar woman's perching on the conference table, reading a newspaper. Her dark hair is pinned up in a high bun with two sticks poking out of the top and bells attached to ribbons. She doesn't even glance at me as I enter, though I don't really expect her to.

"Oh, hey, Ms. Jin-" I feel my mood perk up a bit when I see who my tutor's going to be. It's so great to see a familiar face after the weird week I've had.

"Scarlett, please, call me Ritska." Ms. Jin tells me over her newspaper, her dark brown eyes never leaving the page. She finally seems to finish reading and sets the thing aside before stretching.

"Uh, no. I don't - It's just you're my teacher..." I try to explain.

"Too true," Ms. Jin nods, tilting her head so the little bells in her hair jingle.

"So, you're my tutor, huh?" I ask the obvious just to be sure - you never know with Ms. Jin.

"Fitting, isn't it?" She answers with a question, her brown eyes sharp yet kind. I give her a little smile, remembering her uncanny abilities. It's been a while since I've spoken to my Latin teacher, but she still seems to be as strange as ever. "Why don't you have a seat? Then we can get down to business." I shrug and close the conference door behind me as I enter and take the seat across from her.

"Alright, shoot." I tell her once I've made myself comfortable. Ms. Jin gives me a little smirk, the bells in her hair jingling softly as she hops off the table and goes over to the white board behind her.

"Let's start from the top." She plucks a black marker from her pocket and draws a smiley face with fangs. "Vampires are real," I feel any respect for the woman I'd had up till now drain with her patronizing tone as she continues, drawing a cartoonish dog. "Werewolves don't like vampires and vampires don't much like werewolves." She puts speak bubbles between the two with exclamation points and angry-slants to their drawn eyebrows. She goes on about how ancient the two races are and how there's always been conflict between the two species. Wolven were seen as primitive while the vampires clung to more monarch approaches. Eventually, she introduces humans into the picture and even talks briefly about early history where vampires were going crazy and turning into Revenants.

"Thus," Ms. Jin finally stops drawing her stick figures and turns to face me, a very serious expression on her face. "A central governing body was created for the vampires in Romania, where the majority of vampires lived at the time." I sit up straight, completely thrown off by this. "There were names given to each vampire in the hierarchy - all Romanian titles of course." Ms. Jin turns back to the board, using the side of her hand, she erases her doodles and begins to spell out foreign words. "*Sclav* are the lowest on the social ladder, once known as slaves to their masters, but now that class has been abolished. *Slujitor* is the next, servants or better known as the poor class these days, though that class is close to becoming extinct in the Americas." As Ms. Jin explains this, I can't help but stare in surprise. I never knew there was a formal governing body for the vampires - or even that it still exists.

"*Subiecte* are the typical citizens, most every vampire you meet falls into this category. *Calaver* are the next step up, knights for the royal court-"

"K-knights?" I sputter, taken aback.

"Yes. Knights, is just a fancy term now, however, they're more like law enforcement or the detectives of the vampire society." Ms. Jin pauses, giving me her full attention as she explains. "Some are different kinds of officials, but all are trained to protect the class below in the case of conflict." She turns back to the board and continues. "Next we have the *Paznic*, who are the Guardians of the royal families and dispatched from time to time to track and neutralize Revenants."

"Bodyguards-slash-assassins." I conclude, feeling a little terrified and more nauseas at the thought of a trained vampire who kills the thing I know as a Revenant.

"Indeed," Ms. Jin chirps before continuing. "The last portion is the royal family. *Prinţesă* are the princesses, *Prinţ* are the princes. *Regină* are the queens, and *Rege* are the kings." I stare at the last word *Rege*. I recall the weird memory I'd seen from Hale's past where he said he was a *Rege*. So if he's a 'king' - a *Rege* - Nausea swoops over me and encases my stomach as I put two and two together.

"So when Mikyle called me *princess*-" I choke out as Ms. Jin turns and faces me with a little smile.

"He meant it literally," Ms. Jin sighs, putting her dry-erase marker on the table. "However, your father gave up the title long ago. He was...let's say self-demoted. His rank is now that of a *Paznic* thought he's not always treated as one."

"Who, I mean," I blink a few times, trying to process all this. "Where are they? The rulers? Why haven't I ever heard of a central body of government? You guys seem independent - are you guys like rebels or something?"

"There's still a central body of government - more like a president than dictator or monarchy. They reside in Romania, of course, but each continent is allowed one Rege or Regină as the leaders, and they watch over each Coven." Ms. Jin continues nonchalantly, patiently. "Mina and William Chantal, siblings, are the current rulers of the American sector and are pretty liberal in the eyes of vampiric society. They only intervene in Coven business if there's a major issue like over-population or any signs of Revenant activity," She shrugs, tapping her fingers on the table. "Our Coven is slightly larger than the usual Coven, but since Hale is a close family friend, they let us be."

"And they think nothing of him having a half-breed daughter?" I ask dryly. Because the Reiniers were so happy about me existing... Do I need to worry about vampires hating me?

"Oh, they are aware of you, but since you haven't Bloomed yet, you're technically not any of their concern." Ms. Jin shrugs. "Once you do, however, Hale will most likely introduce you to the Court- as a formality. So long as you don't pose a threat to the survival of the vampires," She shrugs again. "They really can't *do* anything to you."

"How comforting." I mumble, looking back at the white board with all the rankings. I'm not sure I feel any better now that I know about all this. Now I have to worry about the vampire-monarchy on top of the Reiniers. *Fun*.

"Well, dear. *Scientia potentia est*." She tells me in Latin.

"Knowledge is power." I translate with a wary smile. Maybe it's true. By knowing all this now, at least I won't be surprised if something happens. And at least I'm learning something. However, as we break for lunch, I have a feeling we've only just chipped at the metaphorical iceberg.