– Hunters? Everything about the rest is more or less clear. Witches can cast spells, werewolves turn into animals, and hunters? Who is this anyway?

Nirel sighed heavily.

– Those for whom our existence does not allow us to live in peace. They consider us monsters and are trying in every possible way to rid the world of our presence. But don't get scared ahead of time. Let's just say that no one has seen them on this side of the border for a long time – since they crossed into the human world, so there is nothing interesting about them. Maybe they degenerated a long time ago.

Hearing the last phrase, with which the guy probably wanted to cheer me up, I smiled wryly. Because now I knew for sure that one annoying hunter still existed in the human world. Mom herself told me about this today, and I just didn’t know what to do with this information now.

How dangerous were they? Have they really degenerated or are they still hiding to hunt down vampires one by one? And my mother? Is she a vampire, a witch or a werewolf?

– Nirel, if I’m still a Midnighter, then who am I? Vampire or witch?

“Vampire,” he answered without a shadow of doubt.

– Why did you decide that? – I became stubborn.

It's not that I want to be a witch. In principle, I would prefer to remain a purebred person, but if I have to choose…

– Because Madame Pelisay named you Salaman Dragon. Your family is the oldest and largest among all vampire families.

– So I have many relatives? – I was puzzled.

Accustomed to the fact that my only family member was my mother, I did not expect such a catch. On the one hand, this news made me immensely happy, because I always wanted to have grandparents, brothers and sisters, and all these noisy, cheerful holidays when large families gather and give many, many gifts. But on the other hand…

Relatives could end up with foulbrood.

The third-year student brought me down to earth again:

– Not sure. Dragon is the common name of the genus, but from the first Dragon, according to history, many branches came. If I'm not mistaken, he had fourteen sons. There were also daughters, but each got married and received a new clan name. It’s better to ask your mother about your relatives when the opportunity arises.

“If it turns up,” I sighed, remembering how I had been waiting for answers for eighteen years, and how I still haven’t received some.

But I still had some clue. Madame Pelisay said that I am Dragon on my father's side. I wonder if he's still alive? And if so, why have I never seen him? Even if their relationship with his mother was truly accidental and for one night, had he really not been overcome by curiosity over all the years to find out who was born to him?

Or did his mother simply not tell him that she was pregnant?

– Listen, but it turns out that vampires can have children? – this fact perhaps struck me most of all.

This is the complete opposite of what was described in books and films!

Fun sparkled in Nirel's eyes.

– Naturally. We need to reproduce somehow. Any questions?

– But of course!

Sitting more comfortably, I turned my whole body to the guy.

– When we entered the library, it was daytime, but we left here at night. What's going on here? Are time zones different?

In response, he rolled his eyes, as if I had said complete nonsense. But I decided not to be offended, because it’s interesting.

– You could also say time zones. It is immediately obvious that you are one of the Coming Ones. It's always night on the Dark Side, Sally. All day long and at any time – and this has been the case for more than two centuries. It was the witches who cast witchcraft because those who were born exactly at midnight – at the junction between the days – do not feel well in the light of day. But vampires react to the sun more sharply than others. Our concentration decreases, drowsiness, loss of strength, and vulnerability appear. We are weakening before our eyes. And, by the way, about the eyes: they are sensitive to the sun. I heard that our people on the other side wear dark glasses or special hard lenses.

Lenses… I almost jumped on the spot with realization, because the guy told the absolute truth. Since childhood, my eyes would water and hurt terribly just by looking at the sun. I didn’t even remember when I first put on lenses: I was too small, but since then I haven’t gone outside without them.

The first thing I did in the morning was wash my face and insert my lenses. But even with them, our windows were always covered with thick curtains.

Nirel was right about everything. Even though these lenses were made of hard matter. They felt somewhere between glass and plastic.

Twitching, I wanted to show him the lenses, peacefully waiting in the wings in the pocket of my overalls, but I stopped myself in time. If I wanted everyone around me to consider me an ordinary person and let me go on all four sides in peace, then I shouldn’t show off my features.

Because any of these features already made me a vampire, and therefore a prisoner of the Midnighter Academy.

Since my guide turned out to be so talkative, chewing his lower lip, I nevertheless decided to ask a frank question:

– Nirel, are we monsters?

Thoughts about hunters haunted me. It’s not for nothing that they decided to exterminate vampires? Maybe there was something in history for which toothless vegetarians still felt ashamed?

– Sally, do I look like a monster? – they asked me unexpectedly softly, but quite seriously.

I defiantly looked him up and down.

– You? You are not.

– And you don't. So we are not monsters. Your mother said it right: we maintain balance in the human world. We help those who are on the verge of disaster, you know?

Taking my hand gently, he lightly stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. I froze in shock, afraid to even take another breath.

“Are you taking my emotions away now?” – she squeezed out, listening to her own body.

– What? No. Of course not. I just took your hand to support you. It must be difficult for you right now.

The third year student smiled humorously.

Instantly taking my hand away from him, I turned away and ruffled my feathers. All I needed right now was a guy who understood everything. I suddenly felt like I was at an appointment with a psychoanalyst, although I had no idea how they actually do all this, and not in a television show.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled. I needed to calm down and clear my head from unnecessary thoughts. After all, this guy had nothing to do with my problems, but rather was trying to help, so being angry at him made me act like an idiot.

“It’s not difficult for me,” I admitted, looking at the porch, because it turned out to be easier to talk that way. – I get used to new places pretty quickly, but the problem is that I don’t want to be here. And I don’t want to be a Midnighter either. My mother… She left now. And I can only guess where. At the same time, I don’t know what’s on her mind, will we see each other again, you know? I'm worried about her and…

Feeling other people's hands on my shoulders, I immediately tensed. I really didn’t expect Nirel to suddenly hug me and gently pull me towards her. His jacket, turtleneck and leather smelled deliciously of something woody, which made you want to run your nose over the exposed part of his neck.

He scared me. My reaction to him and his hugs scared me. The last tickling sensation in my chest also excited me at the same time, but at the same time I felt warm. In his strong hands it felt good and cozy, reliable and comfortable, as if we had already known each other for a thousand years.

I wonder how long vampires live? Here you will inadvertently believe in the transmigration of souls.

He gently stroked my back.