Zea sat in the last row. She had one hand on her gym bag that contained her sword and the other hand held the finished homework assignment as she waited for Selene. She looked back to the entrance and watched another student enter.

In between her discoveries last night and now, she had found out that here was another murder near the university prior to the start of the semester. Equally as gruesome as John’s. She also found out that Roberta Langley’s vocal cord had been ripped out, but that information was left out from the police reports. She had to find that by visiting the city’s morgue an hour before coming to class.

With the new information, Zea had concluded that Selene was gathering parts. In all three murders, the victims were missing a body part and the killer unknown. Selene was either a messed up serial killer or a cultist dabbling in dark magic. She leaned on the cultist as she also found in Roberta’s inner left thigh someone had etched a pentagram with blood that contained traces of Selene’s perfume.

Zea turned and made a sweep of the students in the classroom. Corrine wasn’t here and she didn’t expect her to be. Among her new discoveries and a bit of banging heads in the Tenderloin, she confirmed that indeed a hunter had covertly entered her city recently. It didn’t take much to connect the dots who that hunter was and it is to be assumed that Corrine wasn’t alone too.

  She immediately informed High Priestess Talia of the West Coast Coven that hunters were in the city. As expected, the priestess went after them right away. Hunters and witches  have a long history and a very bitter feud. If the hunters were smart, they’d leave before Talia gets to them. 

However, Zea didn’t tell Talia about Selene. That was something she wanted to deal with personally and the West Coast Coven can’t take all the credit for protecting the city from trouble makers. Her vampire house also had an equal share in that and she didn’t want to lose face especially since they had, uh, made a deal with them recently.

Professor Anderson cleared his throat. “I wanted to say that people shouldn’t leave class alone. As you all may have known by now, there has been--sorry, if I am being direct here but the recent murders on campus and a possible serial killer.” He touched the bridge of his glasses. “Anyways, Officer Brown of the campus police is outside of this class and making sure everyone is safe. You can ask him to escort you to your car. I do ask that you wait here to be escorted if you don’t have a buddy.”

A student raised their hands. 

“Ah, Mr. Micam, yes?” asked Professor Anderson.

“Why doesn’t campus just close?” asked the student, concerningly.

Professor Anderson shuffled his papers. “I don’t know, to be honest. If I had that power, I would. You have legit concerns. I suggest that you write a complaint to the dean.” He then addressed the entire class. “Now soon I am going to start roll call and collect homework that is due right afterward!”

There was a long groan and opening of backpacks as students readied their homework. Some were actually furiously trying to finish it while others chit-chatted with their neighbors or friends. In the midst of this, Selene finally entered the classroom.

Selene smiled at Zea at first and then rolled her eyes when she realized that Zea was mad dogging her. She plopped right next to Zea and kicked her feet on the top of the chair ahead of her. She leaned back into her seat. “C’mon, nerd, don’t give me that look. I am sorry I even asked yesterday--”

“I finished your homework,” Zea said coldly. She noted that Selene was wearing that same perfume again.

“Really? Wow, thank you,” said Selene as she eyed the paper in Zea’s hand. She reached for it but stopped. She licked her lips. “You still want that kiss?”

Zea was in no mood to play games. “We leave now,” she said as she shoved the papers into Selene’s hands, crumpling them in the process. She intended to capture the cultist, force a confession and turn her to the authorities. It was the only thing she could do. She may be a vampire, but she’s no monster.

Selene was taken aback. “Okay, nerd,” she nodded. “A little aggressive and very weird.”

“I know what you did. You will come with me lest you wish to forfeit your life,” threatened Zea.

“Oh, you’re the batshit crazy ones! I am going to move,” said Selene, getting out of her seat abruptly and also taking the crumpled paper with her.

This had everyone stare at Zea and Selene. Even the professor heard it and he pointed his manila folder at them. 

“Is there a problem, Ms. Hiltebrant?” asked Professor Anderson.

“Nothing. She’s just moving seats,” answered Zea, turning her head like an owl as she watched Selene move to the seat in front of the professor.

Zea narrowed her eyes and cracked her neck. Does the cultist think she can get away from her? Class has to end after all.

The professor began and finished the roll call. Afterwards, homework was asked to be turned in. Irritatedly, Zea watched Selene place the crumpled homework assignment that she worked on the podium. She regretted that she actually finished it for her.

Class went on as usual. Zea saw Selene look back at her worriedly from time to time. When the lecture was done and the professor gave out the next assignments, Selene managed to get a few people to walk with her out of the class. They looked at her suspiciously as they passed and she was not amused, via her vampiric hearing, that Selene had told them that she could be the serial killer targeting the students. Obvious lie.

Zea got out of her seat and was about to follow them when the professor called out her name.

“Can you come down and talk with me?” asked Professor Anderson.

At first, Zea ignored the professor but he called out her name again and sternly. She pursed her lips, decided that she should get over whatever the professor wanted to talk to her about and then go after Selene. She walked down to the podium with her gym back slung over her shoulder.

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Zea snapped at the professor. “I am a little busy.”

The professor was not amused. He handed Zea a folded paper. “Ms. Leon has informed me that you’ve been harassing her. I won’t stand for that in my classroom.”

Zea barely contained her growl. It wasn’t so much the professor's words that were pissing her off. It was what she read in the note and was tempted her to just kill the cultist instead. 

“Have you no shame in trying to take Ms. Leon’s hard work and in the classroom? Just writing your name on a blank piece of paper and turning that in for homework would be hell of a lot better! What do you have to say for yourself?” demanded Professor Anderson. “You apologize to me and then also to Ms. Leon next class! If it weren’t for the craziness going on right now, I would have written to the dean to have you expelled!

Zea tore the note in half and dropped it. “Not that it matters at all but the handwriting, which is mine, won’t match hers. Now you are going to let me leave,” she seethed. She started to turn, but the professor pulled her back and  got into her face.

“Expulsion it is!” Professor Anderson fired back.

“Fuck it,” said Zea as she grabbed the professor by his vest and lifted him up with one arm.

“Oh my god!” Professor Anderson tried to squirm out of Zea’s grip.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but you will not get in my way!” Zea threatened.

Just then, Officer Brown entered the classroom with a student pointing a finger at her.

Zea dropped the professor who backed away from her and vigorously adjusted his glasses. “No trouble, officer, I am leaving,” she said.

The officer opened his mouth to say something, but Zea's death glared at him and he instead went to check on the professor.

Zea left the class not caring for the eyes and whispering. She had a cultist to capture.