Chapter 304

Joseph’s POV

After I left Tessa’s workplace, I got into my car and drove an hour to the vampire academy. I wanted to speak with Ruby and tell her everything that’s been going on since I last saw her. Because of the phone limitations at the academy, she’s been left in the dark. I don’t even think she knows we got to Tessa in time and that she’s okay.

I felt guilty for not trying harder to reach out to her sooner, but I’m sure she will understand. I couldn’t get over how those women at Tessa’s office were all over me like that. I was going to need to shower for days to get the feel of their touch off my body. I shuddered at the very thought of it. I couldn’t even imagine how Tessa felt during that.

I just wanted ot rip through them and get to her, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her for the entire office to see that she was mine and I was hers. I wanted to claim her in front of everybody.

I can’t wait for the day that I finally get to call her my wife and we can live our fairytale happily ever after. Call me a romantic if you must, but I love her so much it fucking hurts. The thought of losing her or being without her drives me crazy. The thought of her upset in any way tears me apart on the inside.

The minute I saw her face when Morgana had her hands on me, I knew at that moment that I was going to have my way with her inside her office to remind her that I was all hers.

I don’t regret that decision. I was getting hard just thinking about it as I drove to the academy.

I parked the car and used my ID card to get through the front gates. The campus was quiet this evening; most were probably getting ready for their classes to begin. I hoped that Ruby would be in her dorm because I didn’t want to wander around the entire campus looking for her.

I walked into the female dormitories and went straight to Ruby’s section. The dorm advisor was in the shared living space when I entered and she immediately stood to her feet when she saw me.

“Elder Joseph,” she said, bowing her head in respect. I hated it when people did that; they always felt the need to bow to Elders whenever they were present for whatever reason. I never corrected them or asked them to not do it because I knew there was no use in it. They’ll do it regardless, so I just let them. “What honor do we have for this visit?”

“I’m looking for Ruby. Is she in her room?” I asked, looking over her shoulder at the doors that I knew were bedrooms.

“Yes, sir,” she answered.

I nodded at her as a thank you and went to Ruby’s dorm room. I knocked on the door a couple of times, waiting for a response. A redheaded girl opened the girl, and I recognized her as Ruby’s roommate. I had gotten to know Lucy a little bit while talking to Ruby and she knew somewhat of the stuff happening. She and Ruby became pretty good friends since their time here; they arrived around the same time. Lucy was brought in by a different tracker in a further away region.

“Ruby! Joseph is here!” Lucy shouted over her shoulder as if Ruby wasn’t a few feet away on her bed.

Looking at Ruby, I could tell she’s been crying. Her eyes were swollen and red and she looked pale. When she saw me, her eyes widened, and she straightened up. Her hair was a mess, and she wasn’t dressed for the night yet. I wondered if she’s been going to her classes these last couple of days or if she’s blown them off.

“I’ll let you two talk,” Lucy said, peeking up at me. “She’s had a rough few days. She’s missed some classes and I’ve collected all her homework for her, so she doesn’t fall too far behind. But honestly, something is wrong, and she won’t talk to me about it. I’m worried about it.”

“I’ll handle it,” I assured Lucy. “Thank you for being a friend to her.”

“In a place like this… you have to rely on one another,” she said, giving me a small smile before she stepped around me. “I’m off to class.”

She left without another word.

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.

“Is she okay??” Ruby asked before I could say anything.

I sat on Lucy’s bed, which was parallel to Ruby’s, and I faced Ruby.

“Yes,” I answered. I could see the weight and the relief leaving Ruby’s shoulders and face. It looked as if she was breathing for the first time in days. Tears flooded her eyes and poured down her cheeks.

“I’ve been so scared,” she whispered. “I saw that vision of Tessa getting into that car and then the driver being dragged out of the front seat and onto the street. Then… he got shot,” she whimpered, tears still flooding down her face. “I saw Tessa screaming for her life while she was cuffed to the backseat and then that man drove off with her. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but the vision ended, and I was left in the dark… I thought…” she stopped, unable to continue with her words.

“Hey,” I said, reaching out and putting my hand on her shoulder, trying to show her some compassion. “It’s okay. Tessa is fine. She was a little banged up, but she healed fast. I guess it has to do with the fact that she’s the Heavenly Heart. We spoke to a witch doctor, and she has a bunch of interesting powers, including the ability to heal.”

“That’s such a relief,” Ruby whispered, leaning back against her headrest. “She’s my best friend…I thought I lost her.”

“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” I assured her. “But unfortunately, that man who was shot in the street didn’t make it.”

Ruby grimaced.

“I was afraid of that,” Ruby whispered. “Maybe if I got there sooner, I would have been able to stop it. But I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head and tried her best to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I guess it was unavoidable.”

“It could have been,” I told her. “If we were in the right place at the right time, it could have been I mean.”

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

“And Carter? Is he okay?”

I furrowed my brows.

“Did you see him in the vision too?”

She shook her head.

“No, but I haven’t heard from him in a few days. I get a phone call today though; I was thinking about calling him. But I also really want to talk to Tessa.”

“I can see if you can get two phone calls,” I tell her.

I hated that she could only use the phone once per week. It was like a prison, but I also understood the rules of the academy. It was easier to domesticate new vampires when they were isolated from the outside world. Having outside influences could negatively affect their training. Ruby and the others in her section who are in the more advanced category and keep their humanity are allowed a phone call a week.

“Thank you,” she breathed. “That would be great.”

I nodded.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” I tell her, starting off slowly.

She raised her brows at me, wiping away the remaining tears that fell onto her cheeks.

“What is it?” She asked; I could hear the nervousness in her voice.

“Have you been taught anything about the prophets of the Moon Goddess?” I asked.

I know prophecy and witches are something that is taught in the Vampire Academy because both could be gifts and abilities that a vampire obtains. But I also don’t know if Ruby would learn about something like that during her first year.

She shook her head.

“No, but I read some stuff on it myself during my free time after I had my first vision,” she admitted. “There are some books on the topic in the library that I found pretty interesting.”

“What did you find out about them?”

She thought about it for a moment, recalling the information she read.

“Well, I read that there are 3 specific prophets of the goddess,” she told me. “When one prophet dies, another will form. There will always be 3 prophets of the goddess.”

I nodded.

“Anything else?”

She thought about it some more.

“There’s the prophet of Death, the prophet of Saving Grace, and then the prophet of New Hope,” she explained. “But there are also some that just have the ability to see clips of the future. They aren’t necessarily prophets of the goddess, but prophets of a sort.”

I nodded again.

“This is true, yes,” I told her. “There are some that aren’t considered a prophet of the goddess. Their visions are accurate, but they don’t always happen in the way that they see. They aren’t reliable sources because those visions don’t come from the goddess herself.”

She raised her brows.

“Mine have been pretty accurate though,” she said, furrowing her brows together.

“Yes, they are,” I confirmed.

She stares at me for a long moment, neither of us saying anything. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she processed what I was trying to tell her.

“Are you saying that I’m a prophet of the goddess?” She asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

She looked as if she wanted to laugh, which was a change from the tearful look she gave me moments ago.

“What makes you think I’m that special?” She says, shaking her head. “I was as human, remember? I doubt your goddess knows I exist.”

I raised my brows.

“She knows you exist Ruby. She’s the moon goddess and doesn’t just look over the supernatural, but humans too,” I told her. “You’re more special than you think, just like Tessa. I don’t think any of what is happening to you is by accident and I don’t think meeting Tessa was an accident either. I think you were always meant to be one of us. I think you were destined to be a prophet from the beginning.”

This time she did laugh.

“Do you hear yourself?” She asked, shaking her head and chuckling. “I’m a vampire because of an accident, Joseph. I’m not sure why the goddess blessed me with this incredible and yet terrifying gift, but I somehow think that was an accident too. And if I was one of her prophets, what am I? The Prophet of Death? Why would she give me such a terrible gift like that?”

I shake my head.

“No, you aren’t the prophet of death, Ruby. You are the Prophet of Saving Grace,” I told her. Her eyes went wide. “Your destiny is to save people, just like Tessa’s destiny is to protect them. You two are what this world needs.”