Fangs for the Bite: ~ a tasteful murder by Jo-Ann Carson

Author:Jo-Ann Carson [Carson, Jo-Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JRT Publications

Chapter

Seventeen

The time had flown by, and I needed to get to the library for a staff meeting. Leroy and I entered to face twenty students sitting in chairs facing a whiteboard. The faculty of five, plus Onyx, sat in the back row. No one looked interested in being there, which made sense. Having a lecture felt wrong after Helga’s final death. The fact that it had happened in this very room made things worse. Her absence cast a cold shadow from the grave that chilled me to the bone.

I took a deep breath and released it slowly as I took my place at the front of the room and scanned the solemn faces in front of me. I hoped the normal grind of schoolwork would bring comfort to some, and that’s why I was going ahead with my talk. Before the murder and ensuing mayhem, I had scheduled the second in my Seven Undeadly Sins lecture series for this night. I straightened my shoulders.

“Good evening,” I began. “I won’t keep you long. I’ll start with the academy’s news update and present my short talk on the Second Undeadly Sin.” No one in the audience stirred. Their preternatural stillness rattled my nerves. “Then you can go to your next class,” I added.

They groaned in unison. Hive mind? Maybe. All I knew for sure was that their collective predator groan put my warning system on high alert. I hesitated for a moment. In norm schools, counselors would be called to manage the emotions of everyone in the academy. But these kids were already dead and had seen more death than I could ever imagine, so I didn’t think they needed counselors asking them how they felt. I thought it best to move forward, but maybe I was wrong about that. Maybe even vampires need to talk about their feelings.

Onyx lowered his chin, as if to say, Get on it with it.

I cleared my throat. “As you know, Onyx and the local police forces are investigating the murder of Professor Goreson. I understand you’ve all been interviewed, but if you think of anything to add to your statement, please tell them.”

Teenagers everywhere excel at giving blank faces, but undead ones do it best. Their eyelids fell to half mast, their bodies sagged into their chairs, and they stopped breathing. I wondered where their minds drifted to.

I bit the inside of my mouth and went with the first intuitive thought that came to mind. “We will host a celebration of life for Professor Goreson next week.”

A few butts wiggled at the mention of a party.

“I’m not sure what the protocol is in your culture for such events, but with the help of the faculty, I will make sure the experience is sensitive in that regard.”

They rolled their eyes. I hate talking to rolling eyeballs. They were even worse than sinking butts. That is the worst part of teaching vampires. The moody disinterest in everything sucked the life out of it.

I took a deep breath. “I also want you to know your concerns, The Big Six, have not been forgotten.

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