1. Make him fantasize!
As incredible as it may sound, guys are more likely to be seduced by just the hint of more. This also applies to a woman who is wearing a skirt that is not too short. For example, a girl who only occasionally has a bra strap or a narrow strip of elastic from her stockings is more seductive than one whose entire outfit resembles a bra and a belt instead of a skirt. A man has no need to know all your secrets.
2. Don’t hide the fact that you love sex!
There's nothing wrong with enjoying sex, and there's nothing more attractive to a man than a woman who can admit it! Many young people are obsessed with sex, so an outspoken girl is a great hook for the stronger sex.
3. Be confident in yourself!
They say that a man’s dream is to have a female subordinate who will come running to him at the first call. On the contrary, most of the guys I interviewed prefer that their girlfriend can take care of herself. They are attracted to girls who believe in themselves and boldly express their opinions. But those who need to be constantly reassured quickly tire men.
4. Speak frankly!
They love it when women talk dirty! Hearing a woman describe what she wants in bed is a dream come true for many men.
5. Love your body!
They are attracted by beautiful breasts or a firm butt. But a woman’s value in his eyes becomes even greater when she values what she has and is not shy about showing it. It's hard to fall in love with a girl who is openly ashamed of her body. But the one who loves her curves will always attract the attention of a man.
6. Show your sense of humor!
A woman who can be fun is attractive and does not seem unapproachable. Men are fascinated by a witty woman; she must be able to joke and respond to a joke with dignity. A sense of humor brings lightness to relationships. So learn to tell jokes!
7. Add some craziness!
“Groovy” women, ready to accept new things, always win the attention of men. Show that you are free from prejudice, and he will dream of you! After all, the thought “she’s probably also capable of anything in bed” will not allow him to live in peace!
8. Tell him that you are not ready for a serious relationship!
Men would like to think that not all women need commitment. So let them think that you can get involved in a casual relationship without attachments. An independent woman is self-sufficient and inclined to have fun!
9. Be like the girl on the cover of Playboy magazine!
Men know that most women don't look like Pamela Anderson, but they still dream of sleeping with someone who does. And it's not about the silicone molds - it's about the look! And the previous 8 points.
Alena Medvedeva
School of Seduction
In the darkness, on the border of the afterlife and the world of the living, two shadows stood motionless.
The exorcist, - with a booming whisper, from which the soul was instantly covered with icy frost, the one who came from the world of the dead broke the silence. - Remember them!
Her interlocutor immediately saw an unexpectedly bright and clear image in the surrounding thick darkness.
A forest clearing flooded with bright daylight. A small group of non-humans, in whom he unmistakably identified a werewolf, a vampire, a gnome, a siren and... a witch! The strikingly feminine, fragile figure of the latter in a bright yellow sundress looked out of place in the dense thicket. She stayed behind, behind her companions, carefully examining the werewolf who was waiting for them.
Torgfrid! The caster unmistakably recognized him as an old enemy.
Ver relaxed, with a deliberately indifferent look, propping up the gigantic tree with his powerful figure. And he also intently studied the girl in yellow with a sharp, bestial gaze. There was something in that look... Intransigence? Mockery? Mistrust?..
Has your decision changed? - the vampire asked the question restrainedly, freezing at a safe distance from the faith.
No, I confirm my choice,” the werewolf responded quietly with a bit of irony in his voice. - And ready to accept the necessary family obligations. I suppose this gentleman is among us now for a reason?
The dwarf immediately handed him the scroll. It wasn't hard to guess What in him. Marriage contract. A special marriage contract for witches.
The vampire is the patroness of the School of Seduction, and the witch turns out to be a graduate? And what they just showed me is nothing more than part of the standard marriage ceremony accepted among them! The shocked caster realized that he was witnessing serious changes in the personal life of his enemy. His mate. And who? Witch!
He watched what was happening with curiosity that captured his entire being.
What does it mean? - As soon as the man skimmed the text, he bared his teeth furiously and looked up at the vampire with a terrible look. Terrible, promising punishment for deception. - This is not enough! She is not of faith, so oblige her to remain faithful to her mate. And why is there no deadline specified in its terms?
“Witches are not werewolves, as you correctly noted,” the dwarf muttered dryly and monotonously in response. “They don’t make lifelong connections.”
This should be understood as an opportunity for my couple to change me to another life partner in the future? - The slowness of tone and terse phrases of the werewolf did not deceive the observer. The wrath of the beast has been awakened.
“That’s right,” the dwarf confirmed in a measured tone, without flinching.
I disagree! - The enraged roar was intended for the vampire.
The image dissipated, replaced by a gray haze once again surrounding on all sides.
You saw? - The whisper of the one to whom the caster could not help but obey.
Help them. At any cost. - With these barely audible words, his interlocutor disappeared, as if dissolving in an endless haze of lifeless fog.
For several tense minutes, the caster tried to comprehend the meaning of her last words. And even though the voice of his incredible interlocutor sounded soft, even admonishing, he knew that he had no opportunity to disobey.
No matter how much he hated Torgfrid, no matter how much he dreamed of taking revenge on him...
But now he will do everything possible and impossible for the sake of the werewolf and his mate, thereby saving himself.
And not only.
We lived on the islands in an old fishing village. Here everything was subordinated to one task - fishing. I was the eldest of five children, and just today I turned twelve. And as soon as I returned from school and saw my parents, it became clear: my first, truly adult conversation was about to take place.
Both parents waited in the kitchen with some nervous wariness. And it’s unlikely that with such serious faces they were just going to congratulate me. Frozen for a moment in the doorway, I appreciated the unusual picture: the mother and father were at home at this time and were waiting for me.
Lina, come in. - Mom fussily intertwined her fingers and cast a quick glance at her father. - We want to tell you something important.
"I knew it!" - I thought with fear, but I obeyed and also sat down at the table.
Daughter,” the father’s weathered face was stern, “you know, all girls with eyes of different colors, like yours, are tested after birth for the presence of the adaptability gene.”
I nodded. Everyone knew this. Nobody really remembered where and why it came from. The gene allowed its owner to live a much longer life. And its bearers were highly valued. To the point that most men considered it a blessing to marry a girl marked with this gene. But carriers were extremely rare. No one knew where this oddity came from, but excellent longevity was noticed long ago.
They checked you too,” my mother said quietly.
I nodded calmly again, “that’s how they check everyone.” And the irises of my eyes are really a little different. One eye is gray, the other is bluish. However, this is not such a noticeable difference, so it never occurred to me to consider myself special. Heterochromia did not always guarantee the presence of a strange gene. I'm already lucky in life - with my family. I knew I was an adopted child.
And you are the carrier of this gene,” my father explained the essence of the conversation, striking me on the spot.
I? - she involuntarily screamed, not believing her ears.
The parents nodded in unison.
So what now? - I asked already warily.
You can become a student at the School of Seduction. And then a graduate, having received an excellent education and the opportunity to get married successfully. You will shape your destiny.
Well, yes, to have such prospects, a girl must be well educated. That is why this closed “boarding house for noble maidens” exists.
Just a wife? - Nowadays, children grow up early, so my parents’ skepticism and suspicion, not at all childish, were not surprising.
Exactly! - the father confidently confirmed. - It has never happened differently. You agree? Education there begins at the age of twelve, first five years of general education, and then another two years of specialized, more in-depth training. This is something that everyone knows.
I was the eldest of the children, my mother’s assistant, and had a good idea of life in the village. If there is a chance for a better life, I agreed. Moreover, until the age of nineteen there is only training.
And the husband... Well, we'll see. Nowadays people are not forced into marriage.
Now future marriage did not seem like something important. And I nodded:
Agree.
My parents experienced such obvious relief that I realized that there was simply no opportunity to refuse.
Definitely, I was convinced, there was some kind of secret connected with the School of Seduction!
In the private living room of the School's patroness
Madam assures me that there will be no complaints on my part? - Large, like all werewolves, the nephew of their Lord mockingly stared at the imperious vampire with sparkling greenish eyes, grinning sarcastically and, as if by chance, moving his nose.
But the latter was not for a moment deceived by this external recklessness and deliberate playfulness. Werewolves, for all their impetuosity, hot temper and lack of restraint, are not so simple. And the patroness would not have taken her place if she did not understand this. Especially in the case when in front of her is a representative of the Strongest clan. Especially when he visited her on the issue of choosing a wife (and faiths choose their only girlfriend for life). Therefore, everything said now, and especially not said, was of utmost importance.
Our establishment has a reputation, and we don’t risk it,” the vampire responded dryly, after a short pause. - We provide guarantees for all our students. They are exactly the wives that our clients require. In the entire history of the School, there has not been a single negative result. None of the men who contacted us were left disappointed.
The patroness’s clear and dispassionate answer hung in the air. A shadow of thoughtfulness flashed in Vera’s gaze. He silently walked around the room several times, with constant animal grace, probably noticing the smallest details with a sharp animal gaze. Ruffling his dark, rather long hair, which was already in disarray, with his wide fingers, he asked mockingly, with the same rustic look:
Since everything is so mysterious with you and it’s impossible to get to know the students... - The man cast a sharp glance at the patroness sitting decorously in a chair, the vampire nodded in agreement. - First, I would like to hear about the process of differentiation of pupils. On what basis are they distributed among different streams, how is it determined which of them is suitable, for example, for a werewolf, which for the same demon?
The patroness was fully aware that this outward frivolity of the man was feigned and one wrong or insincere word uttered by her would make him turn around and leave. The werewolf will hear falsehood, and this is what can be decisive for him in the matter of choice.
After identifying the adaptability gene, we oblige the parents of girls to raise them and raise them under the strictest control. Data about such girls is magically protected, which prevents anyone from harming them. Upon reaching twelve years of age, future pupils enter the School, where over the next seven years they receive a deep and comprehensive education. You can be sure that you will never have to be ashamed of your spouse’s behavior, that she will be prepared for the reality of the world of the Come. Upon arrival at the School, each girl undergoes comprehensive testing and magical examination. It is these measures that allow us to determine with absolute certainty the “related” affiliation of each. And distribute wives to the appropriate stream - for werewolves, for gargoyles, for hashers, for demons, and so on. Only those girls whose ancestors included one of yours are included in the stream of wives for werewolves.
School of Seduction Alena Medvedeva
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Title: School of Seduction
About the book “School of Seduction” by Alena Medvedeva
“School of Seduction” is a book in the genre of romantic fiction with some erotic inserts. Alena Medvedeva wrote a surprisingly sensual and exciting novel, more reminiscent of a fantastic fairy tale about all-conquering love. This work will be interesting to read for those who believe in the power and forgiveness of true feelings.
The main character of the work is a cute witch, a graduate of the School of Seduction. This unusual educational institution belongs to the category of magic academies, only they train not magicians or sorcerers, but fragile women who can charm any man. Alena Medvedeva reveals interesting techniques that the girl learned, using the example of a relationship with an unusual lover - an evil and insidious werewolf. Either under the influence of the charms of a lovely seductress, or under the influence of the magic of love, our hero changes his principles and becomes completely different. The only thing that invariably accompanies him throughout history is passion, passionately manifested in love scenes.
The events of the book “School of Seduction” take place in a fantasy reality, where the reader meets various races of non-humans: witches, vampires, werewolves, demons. Alena Medvedeva describes the confrontation between two worlds - People and Others. Despite the brutal war, representatives of the two enemy camps found mutual understanding and learned generosity and forgiveness. The lovers had to go through numerous trials, overcome hostility towards each other and trust their feelings. This light book contains deeper ideological layers than it seems at first glance: there will never be destructive wars and disunity in the world if those around us learn to understand and accept each other.
The work “School of Seduction” is written in easy and figurative language. The plot of the story is written very clearly and logically; as you read, all the secrets are revealed and every detail is explained. Picturesque pictures of fairy-tale reality take the reader into the world of magic and ominous otherworldly forces. The book is rich in plot twists, intrigues, and unexpected branches that lead deep into the life stories of fantasy characters. It is impossible to read about the dynamic adventures of the main characters without stopping your heart. Having “swallowed” the novel “School of Seduction” in one breath, you feel its philosophical aftertaste and compare what is happening in the fantasy world with our reality.
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- Annotation:
Prologue In the twilight, on the border of the afterlife and the world of the living, two shadows froze motionless. “Sorcerer,” the one who came from the world of the dead broke the silence with a booming whisper, from which the soul was instantly covered with icy frost. - Remember them! Her interlocutor immediately saw in the thick darkness surrounding them an unexpectedly bright and clear image. A forest clearing flooded with bright daylight. A small group of non-humans, in whom he unmistakably identified a werewolf, a vampire, a gnome, a siren and... a witch! The strikingly feminine, fragile figure of the latter, in a bright yellow sundress, looked out of place in the dense thicket. She stayed behind, behind her companions, carefully examining the werewolf who was waiting for them. "Torgfrid!" - the caster unmistakably recognized him as an old enemy. Ver, with a relaxed, deliberately indifferent look, propped up the gigantic tree with his powerful figure. And he also intently studied the girl in yellow with a sharp, bestial gaze. There was something in that look... Intransigence?.. Mockery?.. Disbelief?.. - Has your decision changed? - the vampire voiced her question restrainedly, freezing at a safe distance from the faith. “No, I confirm my choice,” the werewolf responded quietly, instantly, with a bit of irony in his voice. - And ready to accept the necessary family obligations. I suppose this gentleman is among us now for a reason? The dwarf immediately handed him the scroll. It was not difficult to guess what was in it. Marriage contract. A special marriage contract for witches! “The vampire is the patroness of the School of Seduction, and the witch, it turns out, is a graduate? And what they just showed me is nothing more than part of the standard marriage ceremony accepted among them!” The shocked caster realized that he was observing serious changes in the enemy’s personal life. "His mate! And who?! A witch!" He watched what was happening with curiosity that captured his entire being. - What does it mean? - As soon as the man skimmed the text, he bared his teeth furiously and looked up at the vampire with a terrible look. Grozny. Promising punishment for... deception! - This is not enough! She is not of faith, so oblige her to remain faithful to her mate. And why is there no deadline specified in its terms? “Witches are not werewolves, as you correctly noted,” the dwarf muttered dryly and monotonously in response. “They don’t make lifelong connections.” - This should be understood as an opportunity for my couple to change me to another life partner in the future? - the slowness of tone and terse phrases of the werewolf did not deceive the observer. The wrath of the beast has been awakened! “That’s right,” the dwarf confirmed in a measured tone, without flinching. - I disagree! - the enraged roar was intended for the vampire. The image dissipated, replaced by a gray haze once again surrounding on all sides. - You saw? - the whisper of the one to whom the caster could not help but obey. - Yes. - Help them. “At any cost,” with these barely audible words, his interlocutor disappeared, as if dissolving in an endless haze of lifeless fog. For several tense minutes, the caster tried to comprehend the meaning of her last words. And even though the voice of his incredible interlocutor sounded soft, even admonishing, he knew that he had no opportunity to disobey. “No matter how much I hate Torgfrid, no matter how much I dream of taking revenge on him...” But now he will do everything possible and impossible for the sake of the werewolf and his mate, thereby saving himself. And not only! Chapter 1 Lina We lived on the islands in an old fishing village. Here everything was subordinated to one task - fishing. I was the eldest of five children, and just today I turned twelve. And as soon as I returned from school and saw my parents, it became clear that my first truly adult conversation was about to take place. Both parents waited in the kitchen, somewhat nervously. And it’s unlikely that with such serious faces they were just going to congratulate me. Frozen for a moment in the doorway, I appreciated the unusual picture - the mother and father were at home together at this time and were waiting for me. “Lina, come in,” mom fussily intertwined her fingers and cast a quick glance at her father. - We want to tell you something important. "I knew it!" - I thought with fear, but I obeyed and also sat down at the table. “Daughter,” the father’s weathered face was stern, “you know, all girls with eyes of different colors, like yours, are tested after birth for the presence of the adaptability gene.” I nodded. Everyone knew this. Nobody really remembered where and why it came from. The gene allowed its owner to live a much longer life. And its bearers were highly valued. To the point that most men considered it a blessing to marry a girl marked with this gene. But carriers were extremely rare. No one knew where this oddity came from, but excellent longevity was noticed long ago. “They checked you too,” my mother breathed out. I nodded calmly again: that’s how they check everyone. And the irises of my eyes are really a little different. One is gray, the other is bluish. However, this is not such a noticeable difference, so it never occurred to me to consider myself special. Heterochromia did not always guarantee the presence of a strange gene. I'm already lucky in life. With a family! I knew that I was an adopted child. “And you are its carrier,” my father explained the essence of the conversation, striking me on the spot. - I?! - she involuntarily screamed, not believing her ears. The parents nodded in unison. - And... what now? - I asked already warily. - You can become a student at the School of Seduction. And then a graduate, having received an excellent education and the opportunity to get married successfully. You will shape your destiny. Well, yes, to have such prospects, a girl must be well educated. That is why this closed “boarding house for noble maidens” exists. - Just your wife? - Nowadays, children grow up early, so my parents were not surprised by my not at all childish skepticism and suspicion. - Exactly! - the father confidently confirmed. - It has never happened differently. You agree? Education there begins at the age of twelve, first five years of general education, and then another two years of specialized, more in-depth training. This is something that everyone knows. I was the eldest of the children, my mother’s assistant, and had a good idea of life in the village. If there is a chance for a better life, I agreed. Moreover, until the age of nineteen there is only training. “And the husband... Well, let’s see. Nowadays people don’t force someone into marriage!” Now future marriage did not seem like something global. And I nodded: “I agree.” My parents experienced such obvious relief that I realized that there was simply no opportunity to refuse. “Definitely,” I was convinced, “there is some kind of secret connected with the School of Seduction!” In the private living room of the School's patroness - Madam assures me that there will be no complaints on my part? - the large nephew of their Lord, like all werewolves, mockingly sparkled at the powerful vampire with greenish eyes, grinning sarcastically and, as if by chance, moving his nose. But the latter was not for a moment deceived by this external recklessness and deliberate playfulness. Werewolves, for all their impetuosity, hot temper and lack of restraint, are not so simple. And the patroness would not have taken her place if she did not understand this. Especially in the case when in front of her is a representative of the Strongest clan. Especially when he visited her on the issue of choosing a wife (and faiths choose their only girlfriend for life). Therefore, everything said now, and especially not said, was of utmost importance. “Our establishment has a reputation, and we don’t risk it,” the vampire responded unemotionally, after a short pause. - We provide guarantees for all our students. They are exactly the wives that our clients require. In the entire history of the School, there has not been a single negative result. None of the men who contacted us were left disappointed. The patroness’s clear and dispassionate answer hung in the air. A shadow of thoughtfulness flashed in Vera’s gaze. He silently walked around the room several times with constant animal grace, probably noticing the smallest details with a sharp animal gaze. Ruffling his dark, rather long hair, which was already in disarray, with his wide fingers, he still mockingly asked with the same rustic look: “Since everything is so mysterious with you and it’s impossible to get to know the pupils...” (The man cast a sharp glance at the patroness sitting decorously in a chair , the vampire nodded in agreement.) First, I would like to hear about the process of differentiation of pupils, on the basis of which they are distributed into different streams, how they determine which of them is suitable, for example, for a werewolf, which for the same demon? The patroness was fully aware that this outward frivolity of the man was feigned, and one incorrect or insincere word uttered by her would make him turn away and leave. The werewolf will hear falsehood, and this is what can be decisive for him in the matter of choice. - After identifying the adaptability gene, we oblige the girls’ parents to raise them and raise them under the strictest control. Data about such girls is magically protected, which prevents anyone from harming them. After reaching the age of twelve, future pupils enter the School, where over the next seven years they receive a deep and comprehensive education. You can be sure that you will never have to be ashamed of your spouse’s behavior, that she will be prepared for the reality of the world of the Come. Upon arrival at the School, each girl undergoes comprehensive testing and magical examination. It is these measures that allow us to determine with absolute certainty the “kinship” of each. And distribute wives to the appropriate stream - for werewolves, for gargoyles, for hashers, for demons, and so on. Only those girls whose ancestors included one of yours are included in the stream of wives for werewolves. The werewolf chuckled and plopped down into one of the large chairs near the table at which the patroness sat decorously. Imposingly throwing one leg over the knee of the other, he drummed on the table with his strong fingers and clarified with a clear chuckle: “But is there any guarantee that among the students currently studying in the class of werewolves’ wives, there will be the only one whose smell will excite me?” By the way, how many are there in total? - No guarantees! - the vampire responded dispassionately. - That is why you and I are not yet discussing the terms of concluding a marriage contract. First, you need to get acquainted with the scents of our students who have not yet been chosen as a pair. There are seven of them in total. Four have already become chosen ones. The man’s chin tensed for a moment, which is why severe folds appeared on the lower part of his face, making it possible to reliably judge his considerable life experience. And about the strength of the leader, who is not used to being refused anything. Skepticism flashed in his gaze: only three? “Well...” with undisguised disappointment in his voice, he impulsively waved his palm, demonstrating his readiness to begin “getting to know each other.” - Let's hope I get lucky the first time! And you won’t have to visit you every year for the next century, or even longer. Shivering in her soul at such a prospect, the vampire silently touched the magic cord with her hand, calling for an assistant with previously prepared accessories. A plump gnome sedately floated into the room, carrying in front of her a tray on which lay three snow-white handkerchiefs. Having placed it on the table near her mistress's guest, she modestly stepped back. The patroness gestured to the werewolf at the scarves, inviting him to begin choosing. However, the werewolf was already actively sniffing, as evidenced by the fluttering wings of his nose. His hand hovered over the tray for just a moment before immediately grabbing one of the handkerchiefs. The gaze directed at the women sparkled with animal interest and triumph. - This! - the man’s tone betrayed his shock. - Incredibly, among them there is one that my beast recognized! The vampire showed nothing of her satisfaction or relief. I just glanced quickly at the monogram in the corner of the scarf. "Lina Orma. Who would have thought!" - Well... And what are the terms of the marriage contract? - the werewolf instantly transformed. Now he was collected, businesslike and purposeful. There was no trace left of the recent laughter. The vampire saw before her an intelligent man who knew what he wanted, moreover, passionately wanting to get his mate and ready to take any actions and use any means for this. The gaze, pointedly directed at her, warned of an inevitable outbreak of bestial rage if she happened to start contradicting him in some way or getting in his way. But it was not for nothing that the vampire remained the constant patroness of the School of Seduction for many years; she knew her worth, had a lot of experience and could boast of a considerable number of grateful clients, already happily married. Now she had to do everything so that the faith sitting opposite would join their number. And do it, as always, clearly and professionally. Because due to the owner's instinct awakened in him, he will be an incredibly picky and dangerous client. The werewolf continued to crumple his betrothed’s handkerchief in his hand; it would never have occurred to the vampire to ask him to return the accessory. - You understand that given the shortage of suitable couples in this world for the Comers and their descendants, witches are of particular interest. Their children fully inherit their father's capabilities. No half-breeds! The man nodded understandingly. “You will compensate for all the costs of training your bride in our institution, plus make a one-time fixed contribution to the School’s account,” the patroness informed him dryly and, having waited for a quick nod in response, added: “You can come for the girl in two weeks.” The werewolf pursed his lips in displeasure, clearly intending to argue the last point. He wanted to have her right now! “You understand that it will take us some time for the girl to be able to match you,” the vampire hastily added, not allowing the guest to voice his own objections. - Do you have any special wishes? The man stood up again and walked around the room. - Since I have not seen the girl, it is difficult for me to judge her appearance, but in my wife, like any faith, I would like to see quite appetizing forms. I don’t need pale sickness, my wife must be a match for me - strong and able to withstand the pressure of my beast. And no fainting young ladies who think werewolves come from hell! It’s already going to be difficult for me these days, so I won’t be inclined to be too delicate when meeting. Suddenly he froze and, quickly turning around, pierced the vampire with a wild and furious gaze of a jealous man, which made her tremble slightly. - But no strangers! - he warned with an icy threat in his voice. - At the same time, I need an experienced and passionate wife, ardent and more than liberated. The vampire only nodded at these seemingly mutually exclusive demands. - I understand that I shouldn’t be afraid of her inability to connect two words? Then again. I don’t need a downtrodden coward who will tremble in my presence and shy away from my beast. She should be the one who will always pick up and support my every impulse, the one who will be ready to love our children. The man returned to the table again and, growling ferociously, warned menacingly: “I’ll be back within the time you announced and not a second later!” My bride should have better living conditions, provide them. With these words, sparingly nodding goodbye, the werewolf left the office. He took the handkerchief with him. *** Two pupils of the stream of wives for werewolves in the School cafeteria - Li-ina-a-a, - Julie moaned, - I can’t look at your tray! Why is it so unfair?! You have first and second, and a salad, and two sweet cakes, when I have lean fish and a piece of dark bread! - They're probably fattening me up. There is always so much delicious food on my menu that even with our physical activity I get fatter,” she giggled in response. - You are already not deprived of nature, but in twelve years of not the most well-fed and calm life I have not accumulated such “wealth”. - Yes, when I remember you at the very beginning... Thinner! But the time here has not been in vain for you - you have become prettier, rounder, and even your breasts!.. “The main thing is that my husband likes it,” I again stretched my lips in a grin. - Good for you, you've already chosen. Just a week until the wedding. But somehow I don’t suit anyone. During our studies, we all managed to come to terms with the idea of marriage. Having learned about the world of the Comers, who would not want to find a true mate among the non-humans? After all, this guaranteed reciprocity and happiness. “Yes,” Julie smiled smugly. - It’s such a relief to know that I will become the second wife of one of the influential males of the pride! It’s great that polygamy is accepted among cats, it greatly facilitates the female lot. Moreover, the second wife - consider it no responsibility. “This definitely suits you,” she nodded seriously to her friend, “you’re such a lazy person.” This is destiny. “Don’t be sad, they will choose you too,” she did not remain in debt. “I hope it’s not one of the “cats”. I wouldn’t put up with another wife.” I just had time to think when... A light clot of fog appeared next to me with a melodious chime, from which a piece of paper fell out and smoothly swooped down onto my lap. A special feature of the School is an instant message system debugged by magic. - Oh, do you have changes in your schedule? - Julie showed curiosity, watching me hastily pick up the envelope. “Yes,” I looked up at my friend in shock. - Private conversation with the School's patroness tonight! - Oooh... - Julie waved her finger. - Here you see? This means that someone has chosen you and it’s time to prepare for the wedding. I had the same thing. I wonder who? - It would be nice to have a wolfhound. “I like faiths,” I whispered hoarsely, instantly choked with emotion. “Don’t be afraid,” my friend squeezed my palm compassionately, “we’ve been preparing for this moment for seven years.” The main thing here is to remain calm and believe in yourself, as our respected patroness says. After exchanging knowing glances, we quickly finished lunch and went to the next item on the schedule, “cooking.” These classes were some of my favorites. And then self-control will return. The news that in three weeks I would be handed over to my husband was both natural (my training period was coming to an end!) and unexpected (no matter how much you prepare for it, shock is inevitable). Emotions were seething, and my thoughts did not want to be organized. And this is unworthy of a graduate of the School of Seduction. We were taught that sanity is above all! In the reality of the Comers, other behavior is dangerous. We expected something unusual from today's lesson. The schedule included combined practical work for the students of our stream and the stream of wives for vampires. - And what will they teach us? - Julie muttered perplexedly under her breath, walking next to me. - Brr, these bloodsuckers don’t really eat. How lucky I am that I didn’t fall into the stream of vampire wives! I really can’t imagine myself next to any of these arrogant pale-skinned people. But werewolves are mine... It was so funny to listen to such reasoning from my friend’s lips now. Just seven years ago things were completely different. We, ordinary modern girls, were first carefully prepared for the idea of the reality of the existence of the supernatural, and only much later did we learn the greatest secret about the appearance of the Comers in our world. And about our partial belonging to this mystery of strength, magic and power. A secret that we will never be able to tell anyone about! This was taken care of separately, imposing a seal of silence on the students of the School using special magic that did not allow them to voice any secret information. And seven years later, all the most incredible and mysterious things became almost commonplace. It’s not for nothing that we were told that we, witches, are genetically much more psychologically stable. Probably, somewhere in our subconscious secret knowledge is already stored. “Yeah,” I nodded in agreement, switching to a new topic, “vampires are unpleasant to me too.” When we were tested at the very beginning, I was most afraid of getting into the stream of wives for them and for demons. “And I know one girl from a stream of wives for demons,” Julie immediately boasted. - Elicia. She is something incredible! So all submissive, timid, pure and ignorant... - So they are all like that. Demons have a thing - they want to raise their spouse on their own and almost fly into a rage if she objects to them in any way. I would go crazy over this, it’s how patient and obedient you have to be! Certainly, no matter how excited the imminent prospect of starting married life was, everything was still good - there was no demon or vampire spouse waiting for me. And my friend’s words reminded me of this. - Judging by Elicia, the girls from the demon stream are not so hopeless. It’s not for nothing that they read “management psychology” for so many hours and they have a lot of practice in “adaptive influence”,” Julie objected, giggling. - Plus, there are rumors about a couple of more exclusive items... So they are like that - soft to lay down, but hard to sleep on. I am sure that in the end they simply gently and quietly re-educate their terrible demons. “The main thing for us is to “re-educate” our werewolf to mutual family happiness, other people’s difficulties are not our problems,” I interrupted her thoughts as we approached the audience. *** Inside, there were no usual rows of places for taking notes. Instead, there were several complexes equipped with everything necessary for cooking, near which girls were already standing in groups of four. We quickly settled into our usual places and prepared to perceive new information. Who knows, maybe today we will learn something extremely necessary for the upcoming marriage. “Pupils,” the deep voice of the gnome teacher habitually focused attention on herself, “over the next three weeks, our classes will be held in an unusual format.” You will teach each other and exchange experiences. I will observe you, evaluate the degree of mastery of the material covered and the level of skills acquired during training. There was a pause, giving us time to think about the new conditions. - You may ask: what should we teach each other and why? “I anticipate your bewilderment and will explain,” the teacher continued. - Yes, the deification of the eating process inherent in werewolves is alien to vampires. Just like werewolves, they will never understand the manic fastidiousness to the aesthetic component of food that is characteristic of vampires, their sophisticated need to enjoy the appearance of a dish to a greater extent than its taste and aroma. But... anything can happen in life. And your husbands may come into contact with each other, and the need to surprise, to introduce a touch of adventurism into everyday life will simply suddenly arise. This is where these knowledge exchanges come in handy. That is why we dedicate the last lessons to such two-way classes; you will one by one go through a joint practice with all the streams of students of the School. “Wow!” - all panicky thoughts about my own marriage faded into the background. “These three weeks will not be easy.” *** Having gathered her strength - and personal meetings of pupils with the patroness of the School were always an extraordinary event - she headed to the office of the head of the institution. An arrogant, pale-skinned and impartial vampire. They say that she had no favorites, and she was equally strict with all her pupils. - Lina Orma... - with a hint of thoughtfulness, looking at me with an attentive gaze of scarlet eyes, the patroness waved her hand invitingly, pointing to the chair next to hers. The chef of the establishment settled down in a kind of “relaxing” corner of her office - in an armchair near the fireplace. However, I knew that vampires are indifferent to changes in ambient temperature, so... is this for my convenience? Apparently, this is a good reason for a meeting! - Can you guess the reason for the call? - As soon as I settled down on the soft surface opposite, a direct question sounded. “I was chosen,” I calmly voiced the obvious assumption. She knew that the patroness especially valued self-control and confidence, so she tried to contain her excitement. And she was surprised to notice the smile that flashed for a moment on her lips. “Here,” a slight movement of the hand and an ordinary flash drive landed on my lap. “How the Comers were able to merge into our world!” - Everything you need to know about your future husband is there. Calmly picking up the information “treasure”, she put it away in a small secret pocket on her uniform. There is not an ounce of excitement or curiosity on his face. Even though I am burning with desire to finally find out who he is, I am fully aware that what is happening is nothing more than a test. I'll look into the information later. “Thank you,” she nodded restrainedly, calmly and respectfully. She didn’t look away, waiting for the conversation to continue. - Do you doubt it? - What? - rushing to admit to some kind of weakness is, in principle, stupid. And even more so to such an interlocutor. “In myself,” the patroness’s tone was devoid of any emotional coloring, making it difficult for me to assess her possible intentions. - You are a student of the School of Seduction and you know what obligations this status imposes. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. For the last five years of training, once we began to perceive the Come as an objective reality, we were purposefully prepared for a specific mission. It was the witches who were assigned by the creators of the School the role of a secret and most effective “antidote” in the fight against the presence of “alien” people poisoning the world. It is we who will have to change the balance of power in favor of the coalition supporting humanity, if necessary making our modest contribution to the resolution of the conflict. Understanding this and the special oath given to the School were our main secrets, protected by the seal of silence. “Yes, madam,” I modestly looked down. “I am aware of my duty and am ready to sacrifice my life for it.” - Remember: you must be ready to intervene at any moment, to do anything for the sake of a common goal! - the order (and it was undoubtedly him!) sounded harsh. “I understand everything,” I quietly confirmed with special emphasis on the word “everything” with a soft smile. The training was not in vain for me. - And I won’t let you down. I will always be ready to fulfill my oath to the School. The vampire looked at my face for a while and, nodding, apparently to her own thoughts, warned: “You have to play an important role in this battle for our world, perhaps even become bait.” Her words told me a lot! First of all, they clearly pointed out the family to which the werewolf who chose me belongs. The patroness paused, allowing me to figure out the rest: he is undoubtedly dangerous! "Strong! Ancient! Experienced! And I may not have a choice." “And I remind you: you can always count on the help and protection of the School,” she assured more gently. Smoothly, with a graceful and precise movement, I slid my hand to my neck. There, on the back, below the shoulder, almost above the shoulder blade, one could feel a tiny, barely noticeable mole. All pupils have such a mole. But it does not serve as a distinctive sign at all. “Thank you,” as expected, I bowed my head. “But let’s believe that it won’t come to that.” The phrase was simply a courtesy. If the patroness really thought so, she would not have reminded me about protection. Fate has prepared for me a difficult spouse. - Don’t give in to fear, follow your convictions and don’t trust anyone! - the vampire summed up our conversation. But before I nodded again, I continued in an unexpectedly insinuating tone: “But don’t forget about the great power of love, desire and passion.” And also about the importance of a true couple! For many of us, the Comers and their descendants, this is very important. Especially for werewolves! I understood her hint correctly. - At the same time, the acquired couple becomes too obvious the weakness of the spouse. The temptation to get to him through me will become irresistible for many,” I quietly noted, folding my hands on my knees, covered with a uniform dress. The vampire slightly closed her eyelids. I felt that she was pleased that I understood this. “You were taught how to turn the enemy’s actions to your advantage,” and again the narrow pale lips of the patroness parted in a mean smile. “Of course,” I confidently confirmed with a bit of deliberate frivolity. “I really count on your success,” the parting words were accompanied by a meaningful look. “I understand,” I said absolutely seriously. The message about my spouse came as a surprise to me. “And, Lina...” the patroness continued after a short pause, “I sincerely wish you to find family happiness, and find a mate in your werewolf.” “Thank you,” I whispered restrainedly. I want this too. But until I meet my future husband, it’s premature to judge anything. “Go,” the vampire nodded towards the door, making it clear that the conversation was over. - He will come for you in thirteen days. Be ready by noon. Without wasting any time, I quickly said goodbye and left the office of the School patroness. I really wanted to get acquainted with the information on the flash drive; my curiosity literally went off scale. And along with it anxiety, excitement and... fear. “After all, despite the admixture of the blood of the Comers, I am more of a man.” Chapter 2 "Who? Who is he?!" Curiosity tormented me mercilessly. But there was no opportunity to satisfy him yet: now the schedule included combat training. And I, having safely hidden the treasured flash drive in the folds of my dress, hurried to the training rooms. No one would dare call the students of the School real warriors. Despite all our innate endurance, we are far from reaching the level of the Come. What is missing are supernatural abilities and skills honed over decades of training and hundreds of battles. Each of us has only some modest magical gift. But the crumbs of power given to us by an ancestor from another world, and its manifestations, are very unstable. We can withstand a non-human in a direct confrontation a little longer than a normal person. But it is absurd to count on this among the New Ones. There are too many internal conflicts and contradictions in the relationships between races alien to our world; their world turned out to be too dangerous. Dangerous, first of all, for us half-breeds. A ringing laugh attracted my attention, forcing me to approach the railings of a wide gallery encircling the entire School building. Looking down, I noticed a trio of girls from the “new girls”: their uniforms and simple-minded expression on their faces gave them away. Before initiation, we all believed that the School of Seduction was just a boarding house for girls, where, in addition to general sciences, we would be taught sophistication, polish, the ability to behave in any society and make the most favorable impression on others. “We were right about that last one!” Now it was easy to remember what a shock the story about the Comers was for us: isolated from my usual environment, I had long ago gotten used to the new reality. But at first... The very idea that in our familiar and familiar world from childhood of workdays, television series, the Internet and microwaves, parallel to us, there live... supernatural beings seemed unnatural. The immersion into this familiar-unfamiliar world happened slowly, day after day we got used to the new reality, becoming familiar with its rules and laws. With the knowledge that we ourselves are, albeit tiny, but a part of this supernatural world. Gradually, the expressions on our faces changed, becoming thoughtful and concentrated: the new world promised little good for the witches. But the girls who wandered from their “general education” wing into the courtyard of the sector of the flow of wives for werewolves did not know this yet, which is why they laughed cheerfully and loudly, without fear of attracting attention to themselves. “Try to find a protector in your spouse,” the dryad Loa, one of the School’s regular teachers, instructed us. How many incredible things we learned from her... With her hands on the railing, she looked at the young witches, and saw in front of her the patroness of the School at the moment when she told us about the true state of affairs several years ago. - The world is not alone. There are many of them, and they are all projections of each other,” she began (then we all saw in the patroness only a fantastically beautiful and sophisticated woman, unaware of her true essence). - So, people live in this world, but in another? Inhumans? After a pause, the vampire allowed our imagination to run wild. - Worlds sometimes touch and make it possible to travel from one world to another. Otherwise, where would we get legends about heavenly inhabitants, about inhabitants of fiery dungeons, about creatures endowed with remarkable speed and strength, about beautiful warrior maidens and many others? For some reason, all of us, having become accustomed to these fairy tales since childhood, do not think about how these stories even originated. - So, all these miracles and incredible creatures are real - but they exist in other projections of the world. Some of the people wandered there, and then, if they managed to return, they talked about what they saw and experienced. And vice versa, people from other worlds came to us. Sometimes children were born after such visits. Unique. They lived longer than ordinary people, were more resilient and stronger. I remember how, after these words, absolute silence fell in the audience, the whispers and giggles of the students, who suddenly suspected the truth, fell silent. And the patroness did not delay in confirming this suspicion. - All half-breed girls born from such unions were distinguished by heterochromia - multi-colored eyes. They also had one more feature... Not so obvious. Their special heritage is the ability to give birth to unique children. “Children?!” How we were amazed by this amazing fact. “What does “unique” mean?” - You are all half-breeds. And you still have a lot of amazing things to learn about yourself. It is now that your real training will begin, for which the School of Seduction was created. - And... boys? - I don’t remember who first voiced the question that was spinning in the heads of many of us. - Are there half-breed boys? “Of course,” the vampire nodded with her usual impassive expression on her face. - But unlike you, boys born from the connection of a human woman with a non-human or his descendant possess strong magic. Obviously, this property is inherited only through the male line. Like heterochromia - only for women. - Don’t we have magic? - the disappointment was universal: at first we all rejoiced in unison, imagining ourselves almost like fairy-tale sorceresses. “Practically not,” the patroness nodded, exchanging gazes with Loa. - But do not rush to despair, the situation of the witches is not so hopeless. Pay attention in class, listen, remember and learn! This way you will learn everything about yourself and your own capabilities. - Are there... many of us? I remember asking about this. “No,” Loa shook her head regretfully, stepping forward. - Cases of viable offspring appearing in pairs created by residents of different worlds are so rare... Moreover, there were times when these surviving unique children were declared the offspring of the devil and cruelly destroyed. Girls were considered witches, and boys were called sorcerers. We continue to use these terms after people do. - Sorcerers... - a wave of whispers swept through our ranks. In the world familiar to us, this word reeked of coldness and hostile alienation. “Yes, sorcerers,” the vampire continued the story again. - Boys with magic quickly realized their own essence, which was different from that of humans. Seeking salvation from human fear and misunderstanding, as well as from non-humans who saw them as a threat and sought to destroy them, they united into the Order in order to preserve their secret and learn to control their power. This Order still exists today, having developed into a powerful supranational organization. You will learn about it in lessons on the “history of the Comers”. Impressed by how incredibly our ideas about life and our own place in it were changing, we remained dejectedly silent. And then the patroness, softening her tone, encouraged: “Don’t worry ahead of time.” You are safe within the walls of the School of Seduction. It was created by the Order specifically to protect witches during their growing years. Every half-breed girl who comes here gets a chance to fulfill her destiny. Now go have a rest. Then, filled with the most contradictory emotions, we did not pay attention to her words about purpose. - Lina! - A loud shout made him turn around. It was Julie who found me; in my thoughts I did not notice her approach. - Why are you standing here? The training is about to begin. Something happened? Is this because of the conversation with the patroness? You... weren't chosen? My friend looked at my face with concern. “Everything is fine,” I smiled at Julie, throwing away thoughts about the past. - I was just thinking. - About what? - Adapting to my quick step, she walked next to me. “I saw the new ones and remembered how they told us the truth.” - Clear. I sometimes think about this too. Especially about the day of the death of their world. “Yeah,” the friend’s emotions were clear. I was also impressed by the lesson on this topic. I then spent a lot of time in the library, reading chronicles and memoirs describing those events. - That day predetermined a lot. *** "The History of the Comers" was read to us... by the demon - Near-ha. I remember that at first we couldn’t take our eyes off the tips of his horns, peeking out from his lush hair. Later I learned that the smaller the demon’s horns, the weaker it is. However, the horns did not affect the teacher’s knowledge in any way, and the soft timbre and thoughtful manner of presentation invariably fascinated us, forcing us to listen to every word. “It was a “black year” for this world,” Near-ha soulfully described the events of long ago. “Overnight, for some unknown reason, it shuddered, a wave of earthquakes swept across the entire surface, lava flowed from the volcanoes, powerful tsunamis and menacing floods swept away the old order... All this foreshadowed global changes. Then a third of humanity perished. "Punishment of the Gods!" - people of that time repeated in fear. “A meteorite fell on Earth, causing multiple cataclysms,” scientists said many centuries later. - But they were all mistaken. This is one of the realities collapsed, the world parallel to yours simply died. All of us present in the audience sat with bated breath: it was so interesting to find out how the appearance of non-humans in our world began. - Day turned into night! The sun was hidden by a giant black cloud that looked like a hole into nowhere. Lightning rained down from the sky, the ground shook underfoot, the wind howled, crushing trees in its path with merciless power. And many different creatures, saving their lives, fell in an endless stream from the gaping hole in the sky onto an area cleared by the elements somewhere in the depths of a dense Siberian forest. All of them found themselves at the epicenter of the hell that had already broken loose in our world. The lecturer froze, looking at us with a piercing gaze. Did we then understand the importance of what we heard? Did you manage to believe until the end? No. For each of us, at first the story sounded like a fairy tale. “Only a small part of the inhabitants of the parallel world managed to escape, and managed to jump into ours,” notes of sorrow slipped into the demon’s voice. - Who wasn’t here! The “lucky ones,” having barely come to their senses, began to look around, looking for their own kind in the chaos of alien reality surrounding them. We know about the events of that day from the handwritten memoirs of the first forced migrants. - Werewolves! - someone growled furiously, calling for his surviving brothers. - Demons! - echoed a loud bass from the other side of a giant clearing, freshly created by the elements. - Varlahi! - Mermaids! - Archangels! - Jellyfish! - Amazons! ... The eyes of all the girls sitting in the audience opened wider and wider as more and more new races of non-humans were listed. But that wasn't the most amazing thing we learned that day! - Miraculously, those who survived gathered in groups, seeking support and protection from their own kind. They had nothing more to count on. When their home world finally died, and the passage to the new world was closed forever, they all became forced migrants. And now everyone was faced with one task - to get used to and gain a foothold in the new projection of the world. Naturally, there were those who were able to gather their strength before others. Today I will tell you about that tragic day in more detail. “Our task is to survive,” as soon as the storm died down a little, and those who survived were distributed into groups according to the races of those present, a large demon stepped into the center of the spontaneously arisen clearing. “And now we are all right here, at the place of transition, where each of us feels the imprint of magic of our lost world, must decide how to proceed." “I have been in this reality. I hunted..." a vampire with deep ruby-colored eyes also took a step forward. this world. But we must unite, forgetting about all the confrontations of our native world. A wave of murmur swept through the ranks of those present. “We were the keepers of balance in our former world,” the fair-haired varlach flung his wings open into the center of the clearing, “and we will not allow such radical change the balance of power in this. This could lead to the death of this reality too! And then again only a few of us will be saved. You can't change this world! Our task is to learn to live in it, to fit organically into its structure. Ideally, unnoticed by its original inhabitants! The vampires hissed indignantly. - For what? If we are able to enslave him, making people slaves and food! - Because everything is interconnected! - Stepping forward decisively, the stern Amazon looked intently at everyone in the clearing. - And if we destroy the population of this reality, we will lose this world too. How many of us will be able to escape next time?! And can we even exist here without them? - The warrior is right! - Numerous voices were heard from everywhere. - Yes! - the majority of the survivors boomed. Only the vampires, who remained in the minority, and representatives of a couple of other races hissed something in disagreement. But their protest was drowned in a general wave of solidarity cries. “Well,” summed up the demon who entered the circle first, “it’s decided!” Here and now, in a place where the imprint of the magic of our lost world will forever remain, we will take a great Oath. And let the power of our home world, which unites us, bear witness to it. We undertake not to destroy people and not to reveal to them the truth about ourselves! We bequeath this to our children. In case of violation of the oath, any of us will have the right to punish the apostate. I swear by the magic of our world! - I swear! - others muttered. - I swear! - echoed over the clearing. ... But in the turmoil, under the cover of darkness and bad weather, not everyone took the oath, which marked the beginning of subsequent disunity. And the dispute about the future continued. - Representatives of each of the surviving nations are free to choose their future fate themselves! Anyone who wishes can seek refuge in other worlds, continuing the forced journey,” the demon defiantly sniffed. “I feel that this world is not very suitable for the permanent life of my people. - He is right! - Varlach again opened his snow-white wings. - Each people from our lost world will follow their own path in the new world. But in a decade, we will all meet here again and decide whether to continue to adhere to today’s decisions. Near-ha fell silent, peering with satisfaction at our shocked faces. There was an astonishing silence in the audience for some time. *** “That’s when we learned about the Assimilants,” Julie muttered in tune with my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. It turns out that all this time we were thinking about one thing. And it’s not surprising: very soon we had to leave the School of Seduction and face the world of the Come who knows no pity. - Remember, Near-ha warned us about the enmity that divided the nonhumans? Julie nodded, involuntarily shivering. We quickly walked towards the training halls, managing to share our thoughts as we went. *** “No one - neither the people who did not suspect anything, nor the Sorcerers even capable of recognizing strangers, nor the Comers themselves - suspected that after the Oath the reality of the human world had changed forever,” the demon continued to tell dryly. - From now on, his destiny was to fight! Everyone against everyone. - Why? - we almost exhaled the question in unison then. It would seem that the non-humans decided not to interfere with the well-established rhythm of the existence of our world... - There was no unity even among the Come. Yes, those who sincerely took their oath and taught their descendants to observe it were loyal to people. For which they received the title of Assimilants in their ranks. They united in a military alliance, called upon, if necessary, to fight for peace on Earth on the side of people. But there were also those who considered the oath a mistake, and privileges for people an excess. They were called the Apostates. And in their ranks there were not only vampires... Many representatives of other nations from among the Comers, albeit secretly, shared these views. - And the sorcerers? They united in the Order before the arrival of strangers? The horned teacher nodded. - Possessing the ability not only to recognize the Visitors, but also to fight them on equal terms, the sorcerers were able to mobilize, unite and become a force capable of resisting all outsiders. They created a powerful structure that secretly became almost a shadow government. And, acting at the level of supranational power, she received real power and opportunities for powerful, widespread influence. This is the OOO - a united organization of Knowers. Thinking for a moment, Near-ha explained: “Of course, they did not immediately realize the threat, became stronger and gained such power.” But it also took time for the Comers to gain a foothold in the new reality. Therefore, the “status quo” was maintained for a long time, allowing the human world to exist in relative safety. But now - in the age of new technologies, supported by the magic of sorcerers - OOO is objectively strong. In addition, the organization found unexpected allies. - So, now the Order is able to destroy or expel the Apostates? Is there a war coming? Are Assimilants allies of the Order? Why then are we given as wives to those who came? Questions rained down like from a cornucopia: the topic worried each of us. - Over the past centuries, the Comers have fully assimilated and strengthened themselves in our world, without losing their supernatural capabilities. They are a terrible force. And if the Assimilants remain neutral, existing separately and not particularly harming people, then the Apostates intend to go further - to the enslavement of the world. Having fallen silent, the demon peered intently at us for the umpteenth time, as if trying to find something in our eyes and facial expressions. - Until now, the struggle was secret and looked more like cautious, local clashes exploring each other’s capabilities. But all parties to the conflict have strength, and a battle is brewing that will determine the future of our reality. And in this battle, everyone’s personal choice may be decisive. - And we? - someone again voiced a pressing question. - Why was the School created? What are we being prepared for? “Good question,” the demon’s smile allowed us to see Near-ha’s fangs. - Regarding all the events I described, the School of Seduction appeared relatively recently. Although sorcerers have helped you since ancient times, trying to support half-breed women. It's possible that the HSE created the School of Seduction for your protection; very few witches have survived in the past. Unfortunately, I do not know for certain why the Order took such a step. Someone else will tell you about this when the time comes. Like you, I can only guess. This is probably an attempt to completely win over the Assimilants. - OOO doesn't trust them? - I am one of them, one of those who respects people’s right to their world. But I am also aware of the numerous characteristics of the Comers, of the complex internal interracial relationships. Even among my people - and there are several kinds of demons - there is no unity on all issues related to people. The Assimilants try to stay away from you, while keeping both the sorcerers and the Renegades at bay. But who knows what many of us will do in the event of open confrontation? And having received a half-breed as a couple, any of the Assimilants will no longer be able to act to the detriment of people. The demon retreated thoughtfully to the window, giving us time to think about what we had heard. - But how does it work? Choosing a spouse? Predestination? How can we be sure that our couple will not be one of the Apostates? The last question came from the depths of the audience, causing us to hold our breath again. We recently learned about the true essence of our “boarding house”, and here is a new piece of shocking data. - This part of the functioning of the School is hidden from me, as well as from any other representative of the Comers. Sorcerers guard their secrets as zealously as we preserve the memory of our home world. The selection mechanism was laid down by the creators of the School. Rumor has it that the Order was helped in this by one of the strongest witches of that time, who was the first oracle. They say that it was she who left a prediction for the sorcerers regarding the future of half-breed girls. In any case, without knowing how it works, I can assure you of one thing - until now, all pairs for you have been determined from among those who have come loyal to the people. Perhaps this is the effect of some kind of magic of choice... I don’t know. It is only known that each witch has her own purpose, it is determined by the oracle. And... your true couple. - But the last oracle died several years ago. But the new one has not been identified - we have already learned about this. - Yes... - the demon squinted. - And this is also a bad sign for your world. - And the sorcerers? - it seems that the question was asked by a girl from the stream of wives for the Varlakhs; I saw her several times while walking. - Can we choose a spouse from among them? “No,” Near-ha shook his head confidently. - This is strictly prohibited by the School charter. This point was also introduced by the founders. And it cannot be broken! There has never been a pair of sorcerer and witch in this world. You are about to find a spouse from among the Assimilants or human men. The only way. But remember: you, like no one else, need the protection of the strongest! *** “We made it,” Julie sharply pulled my hand, cutting off the flow of memories and drawing attention to the fact that we were approaching the goal. - The class is about to start. I returned from training feeling pleasantly tired. Today, my magical gift helped me deal with the enemy a little. Each of the witches has some modest feature. I, for example, know how to move various objects that are at some distance from among those that I have seen at least once. Julie ran ahead; her schedule for today still included a singing lesson. My friend’s individual educational program was replete with these lessons, just like mine was in dancing. Each of us had our own talent, enhanced by the magic of the School and allowing us to charm and seduce any man. For us, weak and stubbornly persecuted by the Renegades, it became a matter of survival. “Where you cannot overcome by force, act with charm,” this was precisely the main leitmotif of training at the School. We were taught to be dexterous, to be able to at least stand up for ourselves a little, to keep our bodies in good shape. But all this was required rather to match the pair. The function of protection during marriage was assigned to the spouse. They were obliged to protect us. Otherwise, even if you were at least three times a true mate of a witch, there would be no possibility of getting her as your wife. The marriage contract, sealed by the magic of the gnomes, did not allow anything else. "A life for a life! Ours - in exchange for the lives of children that we are able to give to our spouses." A feeling of fatigue spread throughout the body like a pleasant languor. I wanted to quickly get to my room and, grabbing my laptop, collapse on the bed. The treasured flash drive was still in my pocket. But there was one more activity awaiting me, which was mandatory for students of the stream of werewolves’ wives. A lesson in sensuality! Chapter 3 Torgfrid showered in a hurry. I barely made it home before the family meeting started. And the “walk” turned out to be tense. The strain on the body was impressive, even for a werewolf. Hunting intelligent “game” required special efforts. And strength. Especially in recent decades! The sorcerers have learned to resist us in many ways. Their magic became really strong and their minds became inventive. “We can’t delay the enslavement of humanity any longer,” such thoughts came to me more and more often. “With their progressive capabilities and our problems, a moment may come when we become weaker.” But for now... For now I have an intoxicating feeling of delight and correctness from the hunt. That intoxicating feeling of pursuit, pursuit and the aroma of a moment of victory! The moment when the jaw clenches, cutting off the victim's last breath, is especially sweet. And the stronger my feelings, the stronger the enemy! I revel in these feelings, idolize them, thirst... Therefore, again and again I go out hunting myself and bring out my werewolves. This is exactly what I knew was right: the strong prey on the weak. This is exactly how our ancestors lived in the primordial world. This is how we, their descendants, should live! No matter where. We have the right of the Strongest to change any world for ourselves. And those who think differently deserve only contempt. “Such an opinion is a sign of weakness!” But I always knew that I was strong. So strong that he deserves more. And the time will come. My time! Time for people like me. There is very little left. Literally a few days separate us from victory. Absolute and undeniable! And then... my time will come. "Immediately after the ritual." We have been preparing for this ritual for hundreds of years, accumulating strength, creating conditions. And the long-awaited moment is so close! Soon! Soon everything will change in the world of people and the Comers! But if earlier the impending victory was the only thing that mattered and cared about, now something has changed. Even after losing control to my beast, I continued to remember the enchanting and inviting aroma. “And this fact in itself is amazing!” In a completely incredible way, the importance of the ritual was overshadowed by another event that happened three days ago. And it was precisely this that excited the blood, tormenting the soul with impatience and melancholy, forcing it to act: to take off and hunt down the next prey. Now it would be safer to be cautious, to lie low, for fear of arousing even a hint of suspicion. But I simply could not stay in place, be within the four walls of my home, hide the painful expectation from everyone... “I smelled her. Finally!” After so many decades of desperate searches and fruitless hopes, I felt the scent of my mate. Moreover - witches! This didn’t fit into my head, threatening me with a real riot of animal instincts. Emotions overwhelmed, feelings tore my soul apart. The beast so fiercely yearned to get its mate, to possess it, to protect it, that I was afraid of losing control over this part of my essence. That’s why I decided to go hunting the day before: the animal needed a walk. He shook his head sharply, getting rid of drops of water in his hair. "We need to get our act together." In the presence of my uncle, cousins and father, I must appear natural and calm. Don't give yourself away. Right now, when fate is so favorable to me that it fulfills all my most desired and secret aspirations, giving me both power and the woman I love, I cannot show my essence. The true essence! He pulled on a T-shirt and trousers, quickly put on his shoes and ran out into the street. My house is located on the outskirts of the town - the main settlement of my brothers. And the family gathering should take place in the uncle’s home, in the center of the settlement. Nodding dryly to the acquaintances I met along the way, I quickly headed towards my goal. “Today it’s important to just endure this bunch of worthless posers,” I mentally prepared myself for another useless conversation. “Very soon I will be freed from this need.” - Son? - I was the first to be greeted by my father as soon as I stepped into the room where other family members were already present. -Have you been away? Are you still looking for a friend? The topic was eternal. My cousins are about a hundred years younger than me, so for now the main hopes for finding a couple were pinned on me. However, it's a matter of luck. There are lucky people who find girlfriends even at a young age for werewolves. But there are few of them. Just like women among werewolves. “Yes,” he nodded, squinting. What is not a reason to explain the absence? - And where did you look this time? - one of the brothers asked curiously. - Been to Russia. I visited the local werewolf community - in fact, I wasn’t lying that much. - Didn’t you smell it? - father again. He even leaned forward, impatiently waiting for an answer. And I... My consciousness became foggy, again plunging me into the enveloping and exciting warmth of her aroma. My woman. My... witch. - No! - I shook my head. He answered sharply, forcing himself to switch to those around him (my father and brothers did not take their intense gazes off me). And he settled down in one of the chairs. The most distant, separate from all family members. “Son,” the father’s voice trembled, betraying sadness, “I insist on the need to attend the School of Seduction.” You've already searched everywhere! It is obvious that among your relatives there is no woman destined for you. There remains, albeit undesirable, a chance. What if she turns out to be one of the witches?! “I won’t talk about the fact that I’ve already been to the School.” Now my main task will be to protect the couple. From all of us! What if one of the brothers goes mad with envy and harms her? Or will the father, unable to contain his emotions, share his joy with others? And I know better than many how ruthless the Renegades are towards witches: everywhere outside the School they are hunted down and destroyed. “I can’t allow this to happen to my partner.” Forced to wait for the moment when I would get my chosen one, I thought about what should be done to ensure her safety. “However, all this will not last long.” Once the ritual takes place, I will be inaccessible to the machinations of enemies. I will rise up and gain great strength. This means an opportunity to protect the life of your chosen one. Perhaps, not everything is as simple as it was thought yesterday. Fate gives me a mate (no one should know that she is a witch!) and at the same time offers me the opportunity to protect her! Only a fool would not take advantage of such a chance. “Uncle, father,” he nodded, greeting the heads of the Strongest Family of Werewolves a little belatedly, “you are too attentive to my humble person.” Isn't it better to take care of the future of my brothers? With a deliberate good-natured smile, looking towards the young relatives, he frowned contemptuously inside. Weaklings! What a disappointment and shame their mediocre powers must be for the Overlord. Although, in modern times, it’s good that both are werewolves. Not half-breeds! My uncle was desperately unlucky with his offspring. The story of their birth is not very clearly preserved in my memory; I was young then and I was interested in completely different things. But I understood that they had chosen a girlfriend for Vladyka on purpose. Few werewolves were saved from our original world, so they chose the one that could bring him offspring. She became the mother of my brothers, but not the wife of the strongest werewolf. Was it too weak? And his beast did not recognize her as a mate... However, I never wished him happiness! And he only rejoiced at such a weak continuation of his family. "The Lord is worthy only of contempt!" - I grew up with this feeling. My uncle gave up long ago - as if he had gone out from within, tired of life and the burden of power. One got the impression that he was absolutely indifferent even to the very fact of his own life, completely devoid of feelings and emotions. It seemed to me that only the duty that obliges us to take care of our people keeps them on earth. There was something strange about this. I vaguely remember that my uncle had a pair. After my cousins were born. It seems that he is also one of our relatives. But I saw her only a couple of times and then in fits and starts. The Lord was so fanatically attached to his woman that he literally hid her from everyone. Then he was completely different - a real embodiment of the strength and mighty will of our people. I would be proud of such a Lord, I would blindly follow his will. And I’m not the only one... But she died as a result of a treacherous attack by vampires, which to this day is the cause of blood feud between our peoples. And there were rumors that the Lord’s couple took with them the life of his heir. "Witch?!" - the thought came suddenly. Inspiration! And an undeniable instinctive conviction - it is so! Now, having personally encountered this organization, surrounded by many secrets, I realized that in this case my uncle’s behavior was quite understandable. "His mate was from the School of Seduction. Why didn't I suggest this earlier?!" And I didn’t even think about why those of us who marry witches hide this fact. “I will not hide! As soon as the ritual is carried out, I will immediately reveal the truth about my mate! This will further strengthen my authority and demonstrate fearlessness,” I firmly decided. Anxiety pierced my soul, I could hardly restrain the impulse to jump up and rush... Where? Probably to her, to his mate. This desire did not go away from the moment the patroness of the School visited. Even without the opportunity to find out what she was like, without representing the girl externally, he was ready to do anything in order to be close. It was difficult for me to perceive the words of those around me. “Torgfrid, you must become an example for us,” one of the brothers modestly looked down, hiding the malice in his gaze. “I wouldn’t have the courage to look so hard.” And even more so go to this... School. I couldn’t help noticing how the Lord’s always distant gaze, when mentioning the School of Seduction, momentarily focused on us. The guess is correct! How annoying these puppies are with their fears! If I had the right, I would give them a “sweet life”! But the offspring of the head of the clan are considered inviolable. They are raised in conditions of special attention, protected. And I cannot allow myself to demonstrate true feelings. For now. My case is completely different. Not restraining himself, he gritted his teeth. Pathetic and worthless idiots! And I must bow my head, submitting to their will... in the future? I won’t let this happen! “The school of seduction is a unique opportunity,” my father objected cautiously. - Its graduates are few in number. And it’s great luck to get them as a couple. The Lord turned away, staring blankly out the window. No, I’m the idiot here - I should have noticed my uncle’s reaction a long time ago. However, we haven’t talked about witches before. Mention of them was an unspoken taboo in the world of the New Ones. It was believed that they brought troubles to the families of the men whose wives they became. Or, on the contrary, they exalt their family. There are many rumors about both the School and its graduates. It’s amazing, but even for those who have come, the School of Seduction to this day is something inexplicable, covered with special magic and covered in an aura of the most incredible myths. The most controversial ones. Who dissolved them and why, I never wondered. But the fact that for the umpteenth time recently my father was returning to this topic was alarming. -Are you so impatient to marry me? - the voice did not disappoint. The question sounded ironic and cold. Despite the fact that emotions were seething inside. “Naturally, I wish my son to find a mate,” my father sighed and immediately, coming to his senses, hastily turned his gaze to my cousins. - As do you, of course! The last one sounded ingratiating. This pissed me off. For as long as I can remember, I have always felt a strange tension between Vladyka and his brother - my father. And he even guessed the reason. "It's my mother!" - Even if she turns out to be a witch? Aren't you afraid of bringing a curse on your family? - carefully maintaining a neutral tone, he changed the topic. Very soon my father will not be humiliated! Now, having found his mate in one of the witches, he eagerly listened to any new information about the graduates of the School. I didn't pay any attention to it before. Now it seemed that these conversations were bringing the moment of a long-awaited meeting closer. “I’m afraid,” something strange flashed in my father’s gaze. - But it's better than loneliness. Or a human woman. “I still have time...” I began, grinning deliberately, but was interrupted by one of the brothers. - And why are they so... good? - Heritage. “Everyone knows about this,” my father explained after a short pause, casting a cautious glance at the Vladyka and leaving me with a feeling of some kind of reticence. His brother continued to ignore the conversation, as if we were not all gathered for a family-clan council. Although this was a common thing: the Lord was constantly detached and immersed in his thoughts. Even his own children were of little interest to him. - Are we meeting to discuss my marriage prospects? - a waste of time was annoying. It is preferable to talk with your father alone; you should not arouse unwanted interest in your brothers. - Why did I rush here? Strength! The question sounded harshly; the emotions raging in my soul nevertheless splashed out. And suddenly my uncle’s attention was drawn to me. The Lord’s strange - long and unusually studying - gaze strained. I don’t like to become an object of observation, especially since I have something to hide. “There is a reason for the meeting,” he explained quietly. - And it primarily concerns you, Torgfrid. A bad feeling made all the muscles in the body tense: had it really become known about my “fun”? - Yes? - We must be ready. Any time. - Are you ready for what? The wariness only intensified: what if the Lord of Werewolves somehow found out about the upcoming ritual? And my uncle is a zealous representative of the Assimilants, which, in his naivety, he considers all werewolves to be. “Yes, we must obey the alpha, blindly sharing his views. But not in the case when the former strength is not felt behind him.” I was not yet ready to make public the fact of my “betrayal” of the interests of the clan: I was not sure that all faiths would unconditionally recognize my power and such a sharp “change of course.” That's when I will gain the expected power... I have long become the strongest among my people. Other strong werewolves of faith also felt this, and therefore they followed me along a path different from that chosen by the Lord. Secret for now! “For protection,” a tired sigh. Amazingly, my uncle seemed tired of this tiny number of short phrases. - Will our territories be attacked? Vampires? I wanted to understand what the Lord was worried about. His decisions could harm my plans, affecting relations with secret allies. - No, we have to be ready to fight ourselves. - What kind of fight? - I was amazed in my heart. The plans of the Renegades were well known to me, and there was no large-scale battle planned. After the completion of the long-awaited ritual, any likelihood of war will disappear: even the Assimilants will not see the point of standing in our way, dooming themselves to destruction. And we will kill the sorcerers quickly. There is no oracle that helped them with predictions. The source that feeds the magic of half-breeds (we collected information about it bit by bit from fragments of memories of captive sorcerers) will not withstand the onslaught of the supernatural dark power that has spilled out. And the destruction of the School of Seduction and Witches will deprive the OZ of any opportunity to win Assimilants to its side in the future. “We will stand up to defend one of the strongholds of light in this world,” is the only thing that my uncle considered necessary to explain. Almost grinding his teeth with irritation, he had to be content with this. But then the head of the clan continued: “And it is you, as the best warrior and leader of our army, that I see at the head of the wolf-clan warriors.” Bowing my head with deliberate humility, I tried to hide my smile. “Uncle has no idea how right he is in one thing - the warriors of our people will follow me into any hell... But it’s not at all a fact that they will not come out on the other side than what uncle sees!” But I was only too glad to assess the combat readiness of our ranks. This coincided perfectly with my own plans, so I answered as sincerely as possible: “I will do everything, Vladyka.” We will be ready! I didn’t think about which stronghold of light the head of the clan was talking about, knowing in advance that I would not allow a clash between my brothers and the army of the Apostates. - We never doubted you, Thor! - one of my cousins confidently intervened in the conversation, generating a wave of dull irritation in my soul. Those present at this meeting as extras still dare to point out anything to me?! “Puppies! They only know what to rely on me! The clan needs a strong leader, with these we are all in danger of degeneration.” - Son? - my father’s voice attracted my attention: no matter how hard I tried, but from time to time I fell out of the conversation, again returning my thoughts to the girl’s scent, so desirable and dear to me. - I think the conversation can be considered completed. The Lord is tired and needs the opportunity to be alone. You heard his order. The uncle was indeed pale, large drops of perspiration appeared on his forehead, and through his hoarse breathing one could hear the barely noticeable whining of his beast. In response, he could only nod, afraid to betray his contempt with an erupting roar: and this is the head of the clan of the Strongest?! Just half an hour of communication with his family and he is already almost suffocating from fatigue? He instantly jumped up from his seat and, nodding dryly to his uncle, turned to the front door. I didn’t think about whether my relatives were following me. Shame burned in my soul: in the original world, werewolves would not have tolerated such a weak-spirited leader! "But I will return my people to their former strength!" With this thought, I returned home, realizing that only a few days separated me from realizing my dream. Chapter 4 Lina “Werewolves are passionate natures, giving the physical side of relationships paramount importance: the animal component of their nature is reflected. They are subject to animal instincts, flare up with desire instantly, as soon as they find themselves next to their mate...” - Kylo told us more than once in lessons . And she taught us, witches from the stream of wives for werewolves, to respond to this thirst. She sought to awaken in us sensuality, the need for pleasure, she urged us to learn as much as possible about the capabilities of our own body, to learn how to use them. Therefore, the daily evening ritual, filled with bliss, tactile delight and pleasure from the enveloping silk of water, awaited each of us at the end of the school day. “A lesson in sensuality is every time an opportunity to listen to yourself, completely immersing yourself in your own sensations and atmosphere of pleasure.” Kylo’s whisper sounded in my head as I threw off my clothes and the burden of worries and stepped into a personal bath filled with enveloping steam and the chime of water drops. The gentle embrace of water embraces the body, caressing it like skillful male hands. Slowly leaning back on the side of the bathtub and relaxing, she slightly closed her eyelids, and the siren’s words continued to sound in her head. "Remember the main thing - pleasure and seduction begins small. A woman’s sensuality is in her body: in her movements, voice, posture, even in her reactions to what is happening around her. When a couple is left alone, a real woman will move correctly - slowly and smoothly, not anywhere in a hurry (her only task is to please the gaze of a man). Then and only then can we move on to more." Thinking about everything Kylo had once said, I raised my foot above the water. In the twilight, the glare from the candles placed in the bath began to sparkle in the droplets of moisture slowly sliding over the skin, like the barely perceptible touches of the hands of a man thirsting for more. “Castle the mind, subjugate the feelings...” I whispered, remembering one of the lessons. "The voice of a true woman is calm and velvety, it envelops, intoxicates. A girl can captivate a man by just whispering a couple of phrases, intrigue him, becoming a riddle that he wants to solve. When a girl opens up completely, she begins to perceive herself as a seductress, sophisticated and confident in "of her feminine irresistibility, then a feeling of omnipotence... magic appears. She speaks with an inner voice, the voice of her essence - the sound seems to pass through every cell of her body, imbued with bliss and sexuality. The sound of her voice becomes lower and even more melodic." Running my palms under the water, I touched my skin, enjoying its softness and remembering how we were taught to properly touch our life partner. It’s not enough to give pleasure with skillful caresses; you need to be able to make someone reach out to you with the help of the simplest touches. “A woman is always overwhelmed with tactile sensations. We feel differently: the breath of the breeze, splashes of water, the sound of rain, the smell of a beloved man - all this excites us and gives us pleasure. And we can share this with our lover." “The body is a woman’s main tool in the struggle for a man’s soul..." Kylo whispered in my head again. Throwing my head back on the side of the bathtub, I tried to calm down in order to regain my mental balance and not worry before the upcoming "acquaintance". Very soon I will find out who he is - a werewolf who sensed a mate in me. Closing my eyes, I focused on the sensations given by the water, on the softness and tenderness of the moist heat. Bathing is better than any meditation. It ideally helps to open up, release natural sensuality, to feel like a real witch. “Will this help me when I meet him? Will I feel mutual interest?" Lounging and blissfully, she recalled Kylo's parting words. "Remember, each of you is the best, ideal, perfect and absolutely suitable for your man. Just like he did for you. Don't be afraid to rely on fate, let nature guide you. You'll figure out everything else with time. You already have an advantage, you are one step ahead of everyone else. No one compares to you, graduates of the School of Seduction! You are the main weakness of your men, never forget about it." Opening my eyes, I realized that I was ready. Ready to find out the name of my chosen one. With my last languid breath, stretching contentedly and gently brushing the pearl droplets from my chest, I stepped out the door, returning to room. The languor, delight of pleasure and self-satisfied aloofness subsided, leaving me with a feeling of renewal and calm contentment. “Excellent mood for the first “acquaintance” with my husband!” Picking up the robe, she closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself the last weakness and focusing on the affectionate, as if the touch of a lover's hand, the sliding of silk over the heated steam and languid skin. “Over the years spent at the School, my body has become accustomed to reacting with a wave of anticipatory delight to the slightest hint of affection,” she smiled at her own thoughts, opening her eyes. “And if faith doesn’t appreciate this, he will be... the last fool!” Graceful feet with brightly varnished nails slipped into soft slippers, and the thought of faith spurred my briefly subsided curiosity. Having picked up the treasured flash drive, I pushed the pillows into one pile and settled down on the bed with a laptop. “Already now...” - listening to the rapid beating of my heart, I realized that I was finally ready to find out what kind of werewolf chose me. Heartbeat... The information was slowly loading, and neat lines ran across the screen. “The one who, lost in the darkness, is doomed to wander in it endlessly, destroying the world in his own soul until the complete oblivion of human essence,” she faltered and continued reading aloud. - The one who brings darkness to all humanity will mercilessly, for the sake of the lost values of the beast, destroy the future of our world. His strength is incredible, and his possibilities are endless. The world of people will choke in blood, torn to pieces by the merciless fangs of faith. He is unstoppable... He is one of the six! You are the one who is reading these lines now, become his guiding star or perish. Light up the path of a man who has been given so much with true love, or, being afraid of him, share the fate of a doomed world. Do not turn away at the moment of truth, do not retreat at the moment of despair! Return him to the light, witch!.. Seconds flew by, melting away one after another, the heart was silent. In shock, I continued to look at the monitor screen, where the words I had just spoken out loud were still glowing. The Skype ringtone suddenly sounded and made me flinch. The last thing I expected now was something as mundane as a call from home! "Like from another world!" Torn out of the company of ordinary people in adolescence, I listened to my family with amazement every time. Their news seemed so insignificant against the background of what was happening in the world of the New Ones! But I had no right to talk about the latter. - M-mom? - she exhaled as soon as the mother’s face appeared on the laptop screen. And she herself heard how confused the voice sounded. - Fields? Daughter? - Mom, of course, also recognized the unusual intonations. - Are you all right? “Yes,” having collected herself, she habitually “switched” to the mode of restrained efficiency in which she communicated with her parents. Even though it was forbidden to leave the School of Seduction, students were not required to completely sever relationships with loved ones. We were only obliged to keep the secrets entrusted to us. - I just fell asleep already. “I see,” my mother exhaled with palpable relief and switched to her usual chatter: “You know, Christina... The book will be published on paper on September 4!”
Alena Medvedeva
School of Seduction
In the darkness, on the border of the afterlife and the world of the living, two shadows stood motionless.
“Sorcerer,” the one who came from the world of the dead broke the silence with a booming whisper, from which the soul was instantly covered with icy frost. - Remember them!
Her interlocutor immediately saw an unexpectedly bright and clear image in the surrounding thick darkness.
A forest clearing flooded with bright daylight. A small group of non-humans, in whom he unmistakably identified a werewolf, a vampire, a gnome, a siren and... a witch! The strikingly feminine, fragile figure of the latter in a bright yellow sundress looked out of place in the dense thicket. She stayed behind, behind her companions, carefully examining the werewolf who was waiting for them.
Torgfrid! The caster unmistakably recognized him as an old enemy.
Ver relaxed, with a deliberately indifferent look, propping up the gigantic tree with his powerful figure. And he also intently studied the girl in yellow with a sharp, bestial gaze. There was something in that look... Intransigence? Mockery? Mistrust?..
– Has your decision changed? – the vampire asked the question restrainedly, freezing at a safe distance from the faith.
“No, I confirm my choice,” the werewolf responded quietly with a bit of irony in his voice. “And I’m ready to accept the necessary family obligations.” I suppose this gentleman is among us now for a reason?
The vampire is the patroness of the School of Seduction, and the witch, it turns out, is a graduate? And what they just showed me is nothing more than part of the standard marriage ceremony accepted among them! The shocked caster realized that he was witnessing serious changes in the personal life of his enemy. His mate. And who? Witch!
He watched what was happening with curiosity that captured his entire being.
- What does it mean? – As soon as the man skimmed the text, he bared his teeth furiously and looked up at the vampire with a terrible look. Terrible, promising punishment for deception. - This is not enough! She is not of faith, so oblige her to remain faithful to her mate. And why is there no deadline specified in its terms?
“Witches are not werewolves, as you correctly noted,” the dwarf muttered dryly and monotonously in response. “They don’t make lifelong connections.”
– This should be understood as an opportunity for my couple to change me to another life partner in the future? – The slowness of tone and terse phrases of the werewolf did not deceive the observer. The wrath of the beast has been awakened.
“That’s right,” the dwarf confirmed in a measured tone, without flinching.
- I disagree! – The enraged roar was intended for the vampire.
The image dissipated, replaced by a gray haze once again surrounding on all sides.
- You saw? – The whisper of the one to whom the caster could not help but obey.
- Help them. At any cost. “With these barely audible words, his interlocutor disappeared, as if dissolving in an endless haze of lifeless fog.
For several tense minutes, the caster tried to comprehend the meaning of her last words. And even though the voice of his incredible interlocutor sounded soft, even admonishing, he knew that he had no opportunity to disobey.
No matter how much he hated Torgfrid, no matter how much he dreamed of taking revenge on him...
But now he will do everything possible and impossible for the sake of the werewolf and his mate, thereby saving himself.
And not only.
We lived on the islands in an old fishing village. Here everything was subordinated to one task - fishing. I was the eldest of five children, and just today I turned twelve. And as soon as I returned from school and saw my parents, it became clear: my first, truly adult conversation was about to take place.
Both parents waited in the kitchen with some nervous wariness. And it’s unlikely that with such serious faces they were just going to congratulate me. Frozen for a moment in the doorway, I appreciated the unusual picture: the mother and father were at home at this time and were waiting for me.
- Lina, come in. – Mom fussily intertwined her fingers and cast a quick glance at her father. – We want to tell you something important.
"I knew it!" – I thought with fear, but I obeyed and also sat down at the table.
“Daughter,” the father’s weathered face was stern, “you know, all girls with eyes of different colors, like yours, are tested after birth for the presence of the adaptability gene.”
I nodded. Everyone knew this. Nobody really remembered where and why it came from. The gene allowed its owner to live a much longer life. And its bearers were highly valued. To the point that most men considered it a blessing to marry a girl marked with this gene. But carriers were extremely rare. No one knew where this oddity came from, but excellent longevity was noticed long ago.
“They checked you too,” my mother said quietly.
I nodded calmly again, “that’s how they check everyone.” And the irises of my eyes are really a little different. One eye is gray, the other is bluish. However, this is not such a noticeable difference, so it never occurred to me to consider myself special. Heterochromia did not always guarantee the presence of a strange gene. I’m already lucky in life – with my family. I knew I was an adopted child.
“And you are the carrier of this gene,” my father explained the essence of the conversation, striking me on the spot.
- I? – she involuntarily screamed, not believing her ears.
The parents nodded in unison.
- So what now? – I asked already warily.
– You can become a student at the School of Seduction. And then a graduate, having received an excellent education and the opportunity to get married successfully. You will shape your destiny.
Well, yes, to have such prospects, a girl must be well educated. That is why this closed “boarding house for noble maidens” exists.
- Just your wife? “Nowadays, children grow up early, so my parents’ not at all childish skepticism and suspicion were not surprising.
- Exactly! – the father confidently confirmed. “It’s never been any different.” You agree? Education there begins at the age of twelve, first five years of general education, and then another two years of specialized, more in-depth training. This is something that everyone knows.
I was the eldest of the children, my mother’s assistant, and had a good idea of life in the village. If there is a chance for a better life, I agreed. Moreover, until the age of nineteen there is only training.
And the husband... Well, we'll see. Nowadays people are not forced into marriage.
Now future marriage did not seem like something important. And I nodded:
- Agree.
My parents experienced such obvious relief that I realized that there was simply no opportunity to refuse.
Definitely, I was convinced, there was some kind of secret connected with the School of Seduction!
In the private living room of the School's patroness
– Madam assures me that there will be no complaints on my part? – Large, like all werewolves, the nephew of their Lord mockingly stared at the imperious vampire with sparkling greenish eyes, grinning sarcastically and, as if by chance, moving his nose.
But the latter was not for a moment deceived by this external recklessness and deliberate playfulness. Werewolves, for all their impetuosity, hot temper and lack of restraint, are not so simple. And the patroness would not have taken her place if she did not understand this. Especially in the case when in front of her is a representative of the Strongest clan. Especially when he visited her on the issue of choosing a wife (and faiths choose their only girlfriend for life). Therefore, everything said now, and especially not said, was of utmost importance.
“Our establishment has a reputation, and we don’t risk it,” the vampire responded dryly, after a short pause. – We provide guarantees for all our students. They are exactly the wives that our clients require. In the entire history of the School, there has not been a single negative result. None of the men who contacted us were left disappointed.
The patroness’s clear and dispassionate answer hung in the air. A shadow of thoughtfulness flashed in Vera’s gaze. He silently walked around the room several times, with constant animal grace, probably noticing the smallest details with a sharp animal gaze. Ruffling his dark, rather long hair, which was already in disarray, with his wide fingers, he asked mockingly, with the same rustic look:
“Since everything is so mysterious with you and it’s impossible to get to know the students...” The man cast a sharp glance at the patroness sitting decorously in a chair, the vampire nodded in agreement. – First, I would like to hear about the process of differentiation of pupils. On what basis are they distributed among different streams, how is it determined which of them is suitable, for example, for a werewolf, which for the same demon?
The patroness was fully aware that this outward frivolity of the man was feigned and one wrong or insincere word uttered by her would make him turn around and leave. The werewolf will hear falsehood, and this is what can be decisive for him in the matter of choice.
– After identifying the adaptability gene, we oblige the girls’ parents to raise them and raise them under the strictest control. Data about such girls is magically protected, which prevents anyone from harming them. Upon reaching twelve years of age, future pupils enter the School, where over the next seven years they receive a deep and comprehensive education. You can be sure that you will never have to be ashamed of your spouse’s behavior, that she will be prepared for the reality of the world of the Come. Upon arrival at the School, each girl undergoes comprehensive testing and magical examination. It is these measures that allow us to determine with absolute certainty the “related” affiliation of each. And distribute wives to the appropriate stream - for werewolves, for gargoyles, for hashers, for demons, and so on. Only those girls whose ancestors included one of yours are included in the stream of wives for werewolves.
The werewolf chuckled and plopped down into one of the large chairs near the table at which the patroness sat decorously. Imposingly throwing one leg over the knee of the other, he drummed on the table with his strong fingers and clarified with a clear chuckle:
– But is there a guarantee that among the students currently studying in the class of wives for werewolves, there will be one whose smell will excite me? By the way, how many are there in total?
“There are no guarantees,” the vampire responded dispassionately. – That is why you and I are not yet discussing the terms of concluding a marriage contract. First, you need to get acquainted with the scents of our students who have not yet been chosen as a couple. There are seven of them in total. Four have already become chosen ones.
The man’s chin tensed for a moment, which is why severe folds appeared on the lower part of his face, making it possible to reliably judge his considerable life experience. And about the strength of a leader who is not used to being denied anything. Skepticism flashed in his gaze: only three?
“Well,” with undisguised disappointment in his voice, he impulsively waved his palm, demonstrating his readiness to start getting acquainted, “let’s hope that I’ll be lucky the first time.” And you won’t have to visit you every year for the next century, or even longer.
Shivering internally from such a prospect, the vampire silently touched the magic cord with her hand, calling for an assistant with previously prepared accessories. A plump gnome sedately floated into the room, carrying in front of her a tray on which lay three snow-white handkerchiefs. Having placed it on the table near her mistress's guest, she modestly stepped back. The patroness gestured to the werewolf at the scarves, inviting him to begin choosing.
However, the werewolf was already actively sniffing, as evidenced by the fluttering wings of his nose. His hand hovered over the tray for just a moment before immediately grabbing one of the handkerchiefs. The gaze directed at the women sparkled with animal interest and triumph.
- This! – The man’s tone betrayed his shock. “It’s incredible, but among them there is one that my beast recognized!”
The vampire showed nothing of her satisfaction or relief. I just glanced quickly at the monogram in the corner of the scarf.
Lina Orma. Who would have thought!
– And what are the terms of the marriage contract? – The werewolf instantly transformed. Now he was collected, businesslike and purposeful. There was no trace left of the recent laughter. The vampire saw before her an intelligent man who knew what he wanted, moreover, passionately wanting to get his mate and ready to take any actions and use any means for this. The gaze, pointedly directed at her, warned of an inevitable outbreak of bestial rage if she happened to start contradicting him in some way or get in his way.
But it was not for nothing that the vampire remained the constant patroness of the School of Seduction for many years; she knew her worth, had a lot of experience and could boast of a considerable number of grateful clients, already happily married.
Now she had to do everything so that the faith sitting opposite would join their number. And do it, as always, clearly and professionally. Because due to the owner's instinct awakened in him, he will be an incredibly picky and dangerous client.
The werewolf continued to crumple his betrothed’s handkerchief in his hand; it would never have occurred to the vampire to ask him to return the accessory.
– You understand that given the shortage of suitable couples in this world for the Comers and their descendants, witches are of particular interest. Their children fully inherit their father's capabilities. No half-breeds!
The man nodded in understanding.
“You will compensate for all the costs of training your bride in our institution, plus make a one-time fixed contribution to the School’s account,” the patroness informed him dryly and, having waited for a quick nod in response, added: “You can come for the girl in two weeks.”
The werewolf pursed his lips in displeasure, clearly intending to argue the last point. He wanted to have her right now!
“You understand that it will take us some time for the girl to be able to match you,” the vampire hastily added, not allowing the guest to express objections. – Do you have any special wishes?
The man stood up again and walked around the room.
– Since I have not seen the girl, it is difficult for me to judge her appearance, but in my wife, like any faith, I would like to see quite appetizing forms. I don’t need pale sickness, my wife should be a match for me - strong and able to withstand the pressure of my beast. And no fainting young ladies who think werewolves come from hell! It’s already going to be difficult for me these days, so I won’t be inclined to be too delicate when meeting.
Suddenly he froze and, quickly turning around, pierced the vampire with a wild and furious gaze of a jealous man, which made her tremble slightly.
– But no strangers! – he warned with an icy threat in his voice. – At the same time, I need an experienced and passionate wife, ardent and liberated.
The vampire only nodded at these seemingly mutually exclusive demands.
– I understand that I shouldn’t be afraid of her inability to connect two words? Then again: I don’t need a downtrodden coward who will tremble in my presence and shy away from my beast. She should be the one who will always pick up and support my every impulse, the one who will be ready to love our children.
The man returned to the table again and, growling fiercely, warned menacingly:
– I’ll be back at the time you specified, and not a second later! My bride should have better living conditions, provide them.
With these words, nodding meagerly in farewell, the werewolf left the office. He took the handkerchief with him.
Two students of the stream of wives for werewolves
in the school cafeteria
“Lina-ah,” Julie moaned, “I can’t look at your tray!” Why is it so unfair? You have first and second, and a salad, and two sweet cakes, when I have lean fish and a piece of dark bread!
“They’re probably fattening me up.” There is always so much delicious food on my menu that even with our physical activity I get fatter,” she giggled in response. “You are already not deprived of nature, but in twelve years of not the most well-fed and calm life I have not accumulated such wealth.”
“The main thing is that my husband likes it,” I again stretched my lips in a grin. - Good for you, you’ve already chosen. Just a week until the wedding. But somehow I don’t suit anyone.
During our studies, we all managed to come to terms with the idea of marriage. Having learned about the world of the Comers, who would want to find a true mate among non-humans? After all, this guaranteed reciprocity and happiness.
“Yes,” Julie smiled smugly, “it’s such a relief to know that I will become the second wife of one of the influential males of the pride!” It’s great that polygamy is accepted among cats, it greatly facilitates the female lot. Moreover, a second wife means no responsibility.
“This definitely suits you,” she nodded seriously to her friend, “you’re such a lazy person.” This is destiny.
“Don’t be sad, they will choose you too,” she did not remain in debt.
I hope not one of the “cats”. I wouldn't put up with another wife.
I just had time to think when a light clot of fog appeared next to me with a melodic chime, from which a piece of paper fell out and smoothly swooped down onto my lap. A special feature of the School is an instant notification system, debugged by magic.
– Oh, do you have changes in your schedule? – Julie showed curiosity, watching me hastily pick up the envelope.
- Yes. “I looked up at my friend in shock. – Private conversation with the School's patroness this evening.
“Oh-oh-oh...” Julie raised her finger. - Here you see? This means that someone has chosen you and it’s time to prepare for the wedding. I had the same thing. I wonder who?
- It would be nice to have a wolfhound. “I like faiths,” I whispered hoarsely, instantly choked with emotion.
“Don’t be afraid,” my friend squeezed my palm compassionately, “we’ve been preparing for this moment for seven years.” The main thing here is to remain calm and believe in yourself, as our respected patroness says.
After exchanging knowing glances, we quickly finished lunch and went to the next item on the schedule, “cooking.” These classes were my favorite. And then self-control will return.
The news that in two weeks I would be handed over to my husband was both natural (my training period was coming to an end) and unexpected (no matter how much you prepare for it, shock is inevitable). Feelings were seething, and my thoughts did not want to be organized. And this is unworthy of a graduate of the School of Seduction. We were taught that sanity is paramount. In the reality of the Comers, other behavior is dangerous.
We expected something unusual from today's lesson. The schedule included combined practical work for the students of our stream and the stream of wives for vampires.
– And what will they teach us? – Julie muttered under her breath in bewilderment, walking next to me. “Brr, these bloodsuckers don’t really eat.” How lucky I am that I didn’t fall into the stream of vampire wives! I really can’t imagine myself next to any of these arrogant pale-skinned people. But werewolves are mine...
It was so funny to listen to such reasoning from my friend’s lips now. Just seven years ago things were completely different. We, ordinary modern girls, were first carefully prepared for the idea of the reality of the existence of the supernatural, and only much later did we learn the greatest secret about the appearance of the Comers in our world. And about our partial belonging to this mystery of strength, magic and power. A secret that we can never tell anyone about. This was taken care of separately, imposing a seal of silence on the students of the School using special magic that prevented the disclosure of any secret information.
And seven years later, all the most incredible and mysterious things became almost commonplace. It’s not for nothing that we were told that we, witches, are genetically and psychologically more stable. Probably, somewhere in our subconscious secret knowledge is already stored.
“Yeah,” I nodded in agreement, switching to a new topic, “vampires are unpleasant to me too.” When we were tested at the very beginning, I was most afraid of getting into the stream of wives for them and for demons.
“And I know one girl from a stream of wives for demons,” Julie immediately boasted. - Elicia. She is something incredible! So all submissive, timid, pure and ignorant...
- So they are all like that. Demons have a thing - they want to raise their spouse on their own and almost fly into a rage if she objects to them in any way. I would go crazy over this, it’s how patient and obedient you have to be!
Certainly, no matter how nervous the imminent prospect of starting married life was, everything was still good - there was no demon or vampire spouse waiting for me. And my friend’s words reminded me of this.
“Judging by Elicia, the girls from the demon stream are not so hopeless.” It’s not for nothing that they read management psychology for so many hours and they have a lot of practice in adaptive influence,” Julie objected, giggling. – Plus, there are rumors about a couple of more exclusive items... So they are like that - soft to lay down, but hard to sleep on. I am sure that in the end they simply gently and quietly re-educate their terrible demons.
“The main thing for us is to re-educate our werewolf to mutual family happiness; other people’s difficulties are not our problems.” – I interrupted her thoughts as we approached the audience.
There were no usual rows of note-taking places inside. Instead, there were several complexes equipped with everything necessary for cooking, near which groups of four girls each were already standing. We quickly settled into our usual places and prepared to perceive new information. Who knows, perhaps today we will learn something extremely necessary for the upcoming marriage.
“Pupils,” the deep voice of the gnome teacher habitually focused attention on herself, “over the next three weeks, our classes will be held in an unusual format.” You will teach each other and exchange experiences. I will observe you, evaluate the degree of mastery of the material covered and the level of skills acquired during training.
There was a pause, giving us time to think about the new conditions.
– You may ask: what should we teach each other and why? “I anticipate your bewilderment and explain,” the teacher continued. – Yes, the deification of the process of eating, which is inherent in werewolves, is alien to vampires. Just like werewolves, they will never understand the manic fastidiousness to the aesthetic component of food that is characteristic of vampires, their sophisticated need to enjoy the appearance of a dish to a greater extent than its taste and aroma. But... anything can happen in life. And your husbands may come into contact with each other, and the need to surprise, to introduce a touch of adventurism into everyday life will simply suddenly arise. This is where these knowledge exchanges come in handy. That is why we dedicate the last lessons to such two-way classes; you will one by one go through a joint practice with all the streams of students of the School.
Wow! All panicky thoughts about my own marriage faded into the background. These two weeks will not be easy.
Having gathered her strength - and personal meetings between pupils and the patroness of the School were always an extraordinary event - she headed to the office of the head of the institution. An arrogant, pale-skinned and impartial vampire. They say that she had no favorites, and she was equally strict with all her pupils.
“Lina Orma...” Looking at me with an attentive gaze of scarlet eyes, the patroness waved her hand invitingly, pointing to the chair next to hers.
The chef of the establishment settled down in a kind of relaxing corner of her office - in a chair near the fireplace. However, I knew that vampires are indifferent to changes in ambient temperature, so this means this is for my convenience? Apparently, this is a good reason for a meeting.
– Can you guess the reason for the call? – As soon as I settled down on the soft surface opposite, a direct question sounded.
“I was chosen,” I calmly stated the obvious assumption.
She knew that the patroness especially valued self-control and confidence, so she tried to contain her excitement. And she was surprised to notice the smile that flashed for a moment on her lips.
“Here,” a slight movement of the hand, and an ordinary flash drive fell into my lap.
How the Comers were able to join our world!
“Everything you need to know about your future husband is there.”
Calmly picking up the information treasure, she put it away in a small secret pocket on her uniform. There is not an ounce of excitement or curiosity on his face. Even though I am burning with desire to finally find out who he is, I am fully aware that what is happening is nothing more than a test. I'll look into the information later.
“Thank you,” she nodded restrainedly, calmly and respectfully. She didn’t look away, waiting for the conversation to continue.
- Do you doubt it?
- What? – In principle, it is stupid to rush to admit any weakness. And even more so to such an interlocutor.
- In itself. – The patroness’s tone was devoid of any emotional coloring, making it difficult for me to assess her possible intentions. – You are a student of the School of Seduction and you know what obligations this status imposes.
It wasn't a question, it was a statement. For the last five years of training, once we began to perceive the Come as an objective reality, we were purposefully prepared for a specific mission. It was the witches who were assigned by the creators of the School the role of a secret and most effective antidote in the fight against the presence of “strangers” poisoning the world of people.
It is we who will have to change the balance of power in favor of the coalition supporting humanity, if necessary making our modest contribution to the resolution of the conflict. Understanding this and the special oath given to the School were our main secrets, protected by the seal of silence.
- Yes Milady. – I modestly looked down. “I am aware of my duty and am ready to sacrifice my life for it.”
– Remember, you must be ready to intervene at any moment, to do anything for the sake of a common goal! “The order, and it was undoubtedly him, sounded harsh.
“I understand everything,” I quietly confirmed with special emphasis on the word “everything” with a soft smile. The training was not in vain for me. - And I won’t let you down. I will always be ready to fulfill my oath to the School.
The vampire looked at my face for a while and, nodding, apparently to her own thoughts, warned:
“You have an important role to play in this battle for our world, perhaps even become a bait.”
Her words told me a lot. First of all, they clearly pointed out the family to which the werewolf who chose me belongs.
The patroness paused, allowing me to figure out the rest: he was undoubtedly dangerous.
