Читать книгу Two for tragedy. Volume 1 - Анна Морион - Страница 5

My lectures were over at sixteen o'clock (a boringly long time), and, afterwards, I went to the nearest park, made myself comfortable on a bench, took a book of Thomas Mann's musings out of my backpack, and began reading with pleasure, at the same time thinking with immense satisfaction and schadenfreude about how the unknown Viper was freaking out waiting for me in the library. It was a tremendous feeling of revenge against the pimply-faced human youth who had been terribly unlucky enough to be my ward. Though he was wrapped up in the deadly sin of not knowing physics, and if he had known it properly, I wouldn't have had to spend my precious time pounding this elementary, logically correct information into his stupid head. Perhaps Viper is so stupid that nothing can save him now.

As I finished the next chapter, I glanced at my watch: it was seven minutes to six. It was time to make the poor man happy. Carefully closing the book, I put it into my backpack and slung it on my shoulder and walked at ease towards the university and then to the library. As I opened the heavy door, I immediately smelled the wonderful aroma I already knew. Blood and sea breeze.

Was it possible? I hurriedly looked around the hall with a searching gaze. Could it be… My gaze fell on the table where my ward No. 8 was supposed to sit. And I was immediately pierced by the realisation that the stranger from Nusle Bridge was very close by. I slowly made my way to the table, looking at the girl sitting at it and thinking up a convincing excuse for myself.

The girl was sitting at the table with her head resting on her hands, her thick, straight hair covering her shoulders in a wave, hiding her face from me. But I didn't need to see her face – I remembered it well from the first glimpse of her on the bridge. Is she Viper Vladinovich? Is this student the stranger from the Nusle Bridge? Is this girl my ward?

I don't know for what reason, I was inclined to think that Viper was him. I mean, that name doesn't really fit the female gender. It's not even a name, it's the English word Viper. What kind of monsters would name their daughter Viper? I never thought there'd be any fans of such a bizarre exotic name. But now I was standing at table number 8, next to a stranger whose blood scent made me shudder, and whose name was Viper. And she had waited for me for an hour.

I felt like a wretch, and I couldn't think of any excuse for my tardiness. I felt an overwhelming desire to justify myself, even though I had never justified myself to anyone, especially not to people. I'd forgotten that I was a vampire, and Viper was just a mortal.

– Hi," was all I could say.

The girl raised her head and looked at me. My blue eyes met her dark brown ones: my unexpected ward's gaze was angry and contemptuous, and her pale lips were tightly pressed together; her beautiful face breathed surprise mixed with insult.

– Are you Viper? – I asked a stupid question. Just to start a conversation.

The girl didn't answer. She gave me a scornful look, jumped up from her chair, and started packing her bag.

I watched my ward in silence, unpleasantly amazed at her stupidest act, though I understood her motives in my heart: the girl felt extremely offended by my lateness for a whole hour. And while she was preparing to run away and not looking at me, I had an opportunity to look at her again, this time in the light of day.

The stranger from Nusle Bridge (Viper, as I now knew) was dressed modestly: a dark green pullover, somewhat tight on her slender frame, and black straight jeans, strict, classic in style. She looked like an office worker. But her thick, straight, dark hair adorned her appearance and gave the strict clothes a deliberate contrast, indicating that she had no primness at all and was not trying to look official. This time I saw her without her coat, and she seemed to me even more unusual than on the bridge: there was mystery and femininity in her whole appearance, her movements, her look, in spite of her anger at me, and it seemed as if I saw before me a magical elf with unusually bright brown eyes.

– And where are you going? – I asked calmly, sitting down across from her and trying to look calm and indifferent.

– Actually, class is over! – Viper sarcastically said in a pleasant, but full of steel voice, without dignifying me with a glance. The girl had already stashed her things in her bag and was about to leave my company.

– It's still thirty minutes until class ends," I remarked.

For some reason, I felt terribly awkward. Why would that be? Had my revenge, out of sweetness, become a reproach to me, as soon as I realised that my ward was a stranger from Nusle Bridge?

– It's too late to study, don't you think? – Viper sneered and looked at me angrily, but I honourably withstood her beautiful, angry gaze.

I rose from my chair and blocked the passage to the exit.

– We still have half an hour," I said insistently.

Why do I have to harp on her?

Viper smiled wryly.

– Twenty-three minutes," she said dryly, glancing at the library clock on the wall.

– Exactly. So let's not waste them and at least get to know each other," I suggested.

– Why? – She asked mockingly.

– If we have the opportunity to be in each other's company…

– Or rather, we are forced! – she interrupted me.

– Even so, we should know each other, at least by name," I finished my thought, realising the absurdity of the situation and the consequences of my deliberate tardiness.

– Thank you for the offer, but I know your name! Your name is even in my message, in my phone, I think that's enough! – said the girl and tried to go round me, but on a sudden impulse I grabbed her wrist impolitely.

– 'That's fine, but it's not enough. We need to sit down and talk," I said insistently.

– You know, I've had enough of waiting like a fool for you for an hour! – Viper suddenly blurted out. I suddenly realised that I was clutching her wrist with my fingers, and I hastily unclenched them. – What kind of conversation can we have? If you think I'm excited about this stupid programme, you're sorely mistaken!

I felt a prick of conscience. But when I noticed that our argument had attracted the attention of the students in the library, I became irritated and wanted to teach this stubborn mortal a lesson.

– We're drawing too much attention to ourselves. Let's talk calmly. I know you're angry at me for being late, but, believe me, I had my reasons for being late, and if I had known you before, I would have warned you. But I only knew your name. And I see you've already jumped to conclusions about me! – I did my best to shift the blame to her, but for some reason the knowledge that the stubborn girl was angry with me made me morally uncomfortable.

"What am I doing? What am I sinking to in order to calm her anger!" – I involuntarily thought, analysing my unworthy act.

Viper looked seriously into my face, as if checking whether I was lying, but I was so in control of myself that she did not find even a hint of a shadow on my face.

– Well, all right. And what was the big reason that made you late? – Finally, after a brief look at my face, she asked.

– I've had a few absences this month… Actually, I almost didn't attend lectures, and one of the teachers questioned me about how dare I not attend his classes. You know how pedantic old Marchek is," I lied without blinking. And because I lied so convincingly, Viper stopped frowning, and her face suddenly flushed.

I knew exactly what had caused that lovely blush: she was now blaming herself for her impatience and her unwillingness to listen to my explanations, embarrassing herself before me and her own conscience.

I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't confess my lie, because then Viper would be furious and send me away.

– I'm sorry I'm late. I really didn't mean to be. – I immediately saw the look in her eyes, as if asking: "Is he apologising?!"

– Okay… And you're sorry for yelling at you… I really thought you were late on purpose… Well, I was wrong. – The girl was embarrassed and seemed to be thinking about every word. – But I'll ask you not to be late again.

– You have my word," I said with a smile.

Viper smiled, too, and sat down at the table. I took a seat across from her.

– Let's get acquainted? – I asked casually, glancing at my companion. – I'll go first. Do you mind?

– No.

– My name is Cedric Morgan. I'm a fifth-year physics and maths student," I said. – Now it's your turn. I'm sorry to be so brief, but I'm afraid we don't have time to go over my CV.

Viper sat with her arms crossed over her chest. A few strands of her beautiful, long hair rested on her shoulders. I wondered again about her bright, dark eyes: they seemed to burn through me, though her gaze was neither contemptuous nor angry now.

– Even better. My name is Viper Vladinovich. I'm a third-year student of the same faculty," my ward said softly.

– You have an unusual name," I said.

– My father heard it somewhere and thought it would be nice to have a daughter with such a name. My mother resisted for a long time, though, and wanted to call me… Anyway, never mind. – Viper paused, as if afraid she'd said too much about herself.

– It's a beautiful name. I can't stand mine," I admitted. Of course, I was lying: I'd recently thought the name Viper was ridiculous, but strangely enough, it suited the girl sitting across from me, my stranger from the Nusle Bridge.

Viper raised her eyebrows in surprise.

– Cedric. Like the hero of a chivalric novel. Where are you from? – I changed the subject, trying to find out as much about my companion as possible.

– From Brno," she answered.

– As far as I know, Brno has many good universities. Why were you attracted to Prague?

– You are right, Brno has many universities, but it is Prague, the capital. If I hadn't applied here, thanks to the grant, I would never have been able to pay for my studies and would have stayed in Brno. But luckily everything went well. Where are you from?

– I was born in England, but ten years ago my family moved to Prague. When the question came up about which university I should go to, my parents insisted on Oxford, but I chose the University of Prague," I said, mentally adding to myself, "It's just that I've graduated from Oxford six times.

– So you're English?

– Not really – half Czech. Can I ask you a somewhat personal question? – I asked firmly.

– Yes?" the girl replied in surprise.

– How old are you? – I needed to know if I had made a mistake on the bridge.

– Twenty-two," Viper answered.

– And you're only in your third year? – I wondered.

– My family had financial problems, and I wasn't able to get in right away, but I guess there's nothing wrong with that," she said calmly. Viper lowered her gaze to her hands and leaned back in her chair. I instantly realised that questions like that discouraged her.

– What's your problem with your studies? – I asked delicately to dispel the awkwardness.

I enjoyed our conversation: it turned out that this mysterious and angry girl was quite intelligent, easy to talk to, not girlish, and not throwing languid glances at me to get my attention.

Viper just sat across from me and stared at me with her beautiful brown eyes.

– I'm failing physics. I hate physics. – She shrugged, as if shaking off the word she hated. – I got a four, but it was a stretch. The teacher took pity on me and gave me a four so I wouldn't lose my scholarship. But at first he wanted to give me a three.

– A "C" isn't such a bad grade. I think you've heard it before: "It's not the grade that counts, it's the knowledge," I tried to cheer her up.

– Are you on a grant? – she asked.

– Commerce," I grinned.

– You see, a C is okay for you because you spend a lot of money on your studies, but people like me fight for the right to study here for free and get a scholarship. A C is unacceptable. Plus, I'll be honest: physics isn't my thing.

– Okay, we'll deal with that. Any other subjects?

Viper smiled, and I suddenly thought she had a very beautiful smile. And then I realised that I was smiling too, but barely noticeably.

– All subjects except languages, literature and history. Numbers are not my thing either," said the girl.

– Then why did you choose this particular faculty? – The motives for her choice were unclear to me.

– Because of my parents. They are both maths teachers, and I have to continue their work. I had hoped that I would inherit an aptitude for the exact sciences, but as it turned out, my abilities were very modest.

– If they had been modest, you would have been expelled in your first year," I remarked. – It's not as bad as it looks at first glance.

– Maybe I'm exaggerating, but in any case, I don't have the same abilities as my parents. I didn't have any problems in this area until my third year, but now I realise that my knowledge has been exhausted. And-" She stopped talking and frowned.

– What?" I encouraged her.

– I'm more interested in humanities," Viper admitted, her eyes down on the table. It was as if she was ashamed of letting her parents' expectations down.

– Sometimes parents can be selfish," I said quietly. I felt sorry for her.

– You misunderstood me! – The girl exclaimed, looking at me again. – My parents are wonderful! It was my decision to come here, even though my parents gave me every right to choose, and even discouraged me when they found out that I had decided to go into physics and maths! It's not their selfishness. It's my mistake.

I have lived too long not to understand people and their true motives for doing this and that. Viper loved her parents very much, so she put all the blame on her shoulders. She was a victim of her parents' love, and no matter how much she assured me otherwise, it was her parents who made the choice for her. Implicitly, but explicitly. In front of me sat a simple, serious girl who had sacrificed her own for her parents' dream. She didn't realise it now, but she would surely realise it later, when she grew up and regretted her choice. No. She already does.

– And what is your favourite subject? – I asked.

– I like literature very much," she answered, and suddenly she was a little embarrassed. – But maybe now you can tell me something about yourself. It's like you're interrogating me on purpose.

– I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I just don't think I'm interesting in any way. I'm good at science, I live with my parents and my brother. And I think I'd like to be-" I thought. – A pilot.

Viper understood my sarcasm. She brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen on her forehead and looked at me incredulously, but with a smile.

– It's a good profession. But I see you're in no hurry to become one. Have you not made up your mind about your profession yet?

"If you only knew what my birthright profession is! I am a hunter!" – I thought, smiling grimly at my own thoughts.

– I haven't thought about it yet," I said instead. – I still have a lifetime ahead of me. I'll have time to decide what I want.

I certainly have. An endless life.

Viper didn't say anything and glanced at her watch.

– I'm sorry, I have to run," she said suddenly, and stood up and picked up the physics textbooks on the table, which had been completely unnecessary and forgotten at today's meeting.

– But it's still ten minutes before the end of class," I said annoyingly, glancing at my wristwatch.

– I know, but I might miss the tram," she replied.

– As far as I'm concerned, they have a pretty frequent route," I said, someone who never tolerated mobility problems. You bet: it's easy to be mobile when you have a car!

Viper grinned.

– 'Not quite. I'll have to wait for the next half hour. I don't live in the centre and can't afford that luxury.

– Then we should make the next appointment,' I reminded him. – How do you feel about that? When?

She hung her bag on her shoulder thoughtfully.

– Monday, five o'clock. Is that okay with you?

– Absolutely.

– Just don't be late," the girl said with a friendly smile and went to hand in her textbooks, then hurried out of the library.

I remained seated in the hall, mentally replaying our conversation in my head, and noted to myself that, for all my disdain for mortals, this girl, Viper, seemed somehow unearthly to me. I didn't feel an inch of disdain for her. It was new to me, almost overwhelming, not to despise a human being. But Viper was a nice mortal girl. And her bright eyes still stood before me. I caught myself at that thought, but this time I didn't blame myself for my weakness, because I knew that what had happened just a few minutes ago was just a tribute to justice and meant nothing to me.