Withering Roses

By Rika Roy

When 8 distinct personalities pass through the threshold of Withering Roses Academy, not a single one of them could have foreseen the absurd, brutal year ahead of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Feb 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369494448

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Copyright © 2024 by Rika Roy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/14/2023

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Prologue

In the year 1717, in a small town, a woman in a black floor-length ball gown strutted down the hallway of the upper level of a mansion. She pushed open the door to the third door on the right of the hallway and revealed a man sitting at a small desk in the gigantic library/study room. With his old-fashioned spectacle, he scanned the pages of his book. The woman eyed herself up and down, ensuring that there was no blood on her dress—not that it would be obvious—or face.

How are you doing? the woman asked, standing by the male’s side.

Quite well, how about you? the man responded politely. He scanned the ethereal woman up and down, trying to determine a mood from her poker face. The woman was quite different, in the man’s opinion. For one, she was educated, unlike the majority of the female population at the time. Secondly, her entire aura was elegant and it was always impossible to determine what was going on in her head.

Wonderfully, she replied. But there is a secret I wish to tell you, she added, her voice a hushed whisper. At the mention of a secret, the man slammed his book shut, a curious smile lightening up his face. The woman glanced at the jet-black book and worried internally because of the golden embroidery that read: A Guide To Killing A Vampire.

She regretted mentioning it.

Go on, I’m listening, the man urged. The woman looked away, contemplating how to get out of this situation. The truth, that’s what, she thought.

I’m a vampire, she admitted with a sigh, lifting her lip to reveal her pearly white fangs. The tensions between the humans and vampires were tight, dangerously close to becoming a war. Many superstitious people placed garlic in front of them in pathetic hopes of warding vampires away. It was all amusingly futile. The woman was never the type to go for innocent humans, only the corrupt politicians and rich people.

She stared at the man’s shocked face, wondering what thoughts were running through his mind. A vampire? the man repeated in shock. As in the ones everyone is ready to murder at any moment?

I don’t know what other kinds of vampires you’ve heard of, but I suppose so, she mocked slightly. The man admired the efficient woman in awe. It just added to the reasons why he was so attracted to the woman. The two of them fell into an awkward silence, the woman anxiously awaiting a response from the readably unreadable man.

To her relief, the man broke out into a smile and threw away the book on killing vampires away. Wow, a real-life vampire! he awed, scanning the familiar woman as if she was a stranger.

You’re looking at me like I’m a whole new person, the woman commented, rolling her eyes at his childish gesture. The man smiled sheepishly at the humourless woman.

It’s no surprise that you turned out to be a vampire. You did not bother hiding it, he admitted cheerfully. The woman furrowed her eyebrows, wondering how the man could say something as stupid as that. What? You act really aloof and always seem to have some red in your skin; don’t think I didn’t notice, he clarified after seeing her confused expression.

Want to know why I told you, Riley Dwyer? The woman asked.

Sure, Riley replied with a shrug.

There’s this building in a land far from here and I wish to start a school—the name shall be Withering Roses Academy—for vampires. I had to educate myself and I know that not everyone wasn’t born as smart as me, so why not make a school? she explained.

There’s some Caroline Paisley twist to this, isn’t there? Riley judged, turning to see his close friend smile wickedly at him.

For my entertainment, I want special students, those who specialise in a certain area without even knowing, to compete in a game of survival named... Caroline was stumped for a name and glanced at Riley for help. He sighed and thought with Caroline.

What about Thrive or Wither? Riley suggested.

Caroline snapped her fingers with an excited smile. Perfect! Are you willing to start this with me? She asked, offering her hand for the human Riley to accept her offer.

I am, he replied, accepting her hand.

Chapter 1

Trinity Cortez and Danielle Franklin were best friends, but opposites. Trinity was pristine and energetic whereas Danielle was serious and quiet. It was rare to see Danielle out of her hoodie and black jeans and her earphones plugged into her ears, an unknown melody playing through them. The best friends lived in Trinity’s average house with Trinity’s older sister, Katrina Cortez. They were both vampires, in fact, that’s how they met. They