3. Raven

3

RAVEN

Istand in shock, staring at my brother, the grown version of him not far from the boy I remember. Confusion clouds my brain, the familiarity of him wanting to warm my senses, but his wrath, which haunts my memories, still lives in the sneer on his lips.

If anyone was born to be an only child, it was him. Until now, he’d had his wish, it seems. My forced presence here appears to be pissing him off more than it does me.

His navy-blue and gold uniform reminds me of our warriors’ outfits upon their return from battle. Except he’s wearing a crisp white shirt and polished black shoes with a matching tie perfectly centered at his collar.

Glancing down the length of me in my baggy pants, oversized jacket, and combat boots, the stark difference between us is clear. That’s just the exterior version, though. I’m sure the interior would be just as drastic.

“Well?” I blink at his words, watching his nostrils flare and his pupils widen with annoyance. “What are you doing here?”

Hiking my duffel bag up my shoulder, I sigh. “Abel sent for me.”

His face scrunches as he takes a step toward me, our height difference becoming noticeable, but I don’t retreat. “You mean Papa?”

“I said what I meant.” I cock an eyebrow at him.

He huffs before swiping a hand down his face in frustration.

“You’re not attending here.” It’s a statement, not a question, and when I smile, he frowns.

“Excellent. That’s exactly what I told him as well, but it seems I don’t get a say in anything that happens to me within this family. So, despite my refusal, here I am. But if you think you can change his mind, I’m all for it,” I offer, more than happy to be out of his hair.

Sebastian purses his lips. His jaw is still tight as he looks at me in disgust. I catch his gaze lingering on the mark by my left eye before he nods, but he doesn’t get a chance to speak before a bell chimes in the distance.

He curses, exhaling harshly as he assesses me. “It’s going to have to wait until after this,” he states, spinning toward the door with a stomp.

“I’m sure it doesn’t. The quicker you speak to him, the quicker I’ll be out of your hair.”

He stops, glancing back over his shoulder to sneer at me. “If that’s what you think, then I don’t need to worry because you won’t survive a day here.” Without another word, he continues inside, not looking back as he forces the door open.

Uncertainty worms its way inside me as I consider chasing after him or hightailing it out of here, but when I glance back, I realize the car is gone.

Great.

With a sigh, I rush toward the door, following after my long-never-lost brother, thankful he didn’t have time to lock it from the inside before I could decide. I guide the door closed behind me, not having more than a second to note the cream and gold-laced marble surfaces in the entryway as I spy him rushing down the hall to the right. There aren’t any other people in sight as I skid across the floor to keep up. Arched alcoves and golden beams soar above me as I rush after him down the long corridor.

I slow as he takes a left through a pair of glass double doors and attempt to catch my breath as I take in the scene before me.

Hundreds of students fill the open courtyard with stone benches and an arched walkway bordering the fountain in the middle. The early morning sun basking down on the space makes me squint, but even that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the world I’ve stumbled into. There’s nothing like this back in Shadowmoor, not even the damn benches, and I instantly feel entirely out of my depth.

Sebastian still doesn’t look back as he heads through the crowd toward a group near the front. A guy slaps him on the back in greeting and the girls preen at him, desperate for attention, and my gut twists. At least one of us managed to land on our feet and find somewhere they matter.

That fact instantly makes me dislike this place a lot more than I did on the way here. Shit, I’d almost convinced myself that it might be good. As usual, I was wrong. Possibly even cursed at this stage. Nothing seems to work in my favor.

A small bell rings and the murmuring around the courtyard halts. Everyone turns to face the open space that leads out into a meadow. Deciding to lay low, I move to the side, staying under the canopy of the arch at the back of the space as a man suddenly appears in the air.

Projection.

It’s only faint, but I can tell it’s not a natural person with how their shoulder flickers on the left. I recognize the man, though. He was in the pamphlet I read on the way over here. It’s—

“Students,” he calls, garnering a tandem response from every student.

“Professor Burton.”

Chills run down my spine at the snap of obedience. It’s palpable in the air as I gulp.

“We’ll be brief today. We lost two pupils in the early hours of this morning to an attack in the northwest of Ashdale.” My heart lurches, confusion washing over me. “They believed they had the strength to fight among men, as I’m sure many fourth years do. Let their deaths be a lesson to you.”

What the fuck?

I gape at him. His words blur as he rattles on about knowing our place, paying closer attention, and learning from those offering their aid if we want to live longer than our peers. I’m left reeling from the flippant delivery of such impactful information.

Students just…died?

What attack?

Ashdale?

It’s clear there’s a lot I don’t know from being isolated in Shadowmoor, but do I even want to find out?

“That’s all for today. Strength testing will commence in three weeks. Follow the sun, destroy the shadows, and survive another dawn.” His voice booms through the space and I gape as every student present repeats the latter statement back to him in chorus.

Just like that, he’s gone again, but my eyebrows are still drawn in bewilderment.

Everyone disperses, bustling around me in groups as they head off, making it hard to keep track of Sebastian. When it’s clear he’s not coming back and the courtyard dwindles down to just a handful of people, I curse.

“Motherfucker.”

I tap my boot against the pillar beside me, annoyance getting the better of me. Someone clears their throat to my right and I turn to see a girl standing with her arms folded nervously over her chest.

“Are you okay there?” she asks tentatively, her round blue eyes blinking at me as her button nose twitches.

“Uh…” I pause, hating to ask for help, but what alternative do I have right now? “I have no idea where I am, and my br—my guide seems to have disappeared,” I admit, tucking a loose lock of pink hair behind my ear.

She offers me a reassuring smile, glancing around us before fixing her gaze back on me. “If he happens to be called Sebastian, then there’s no way in Hell he’s coming back. I don’t know how he became a prefect, but he has no interest in anyone but himself. Please don’t expect him to recognize or acknowledge you for the remainder of your time here,” she says with a chuckle, and I grin in response.

If only I could guarantee he would fuck off and pay me no mind, I would dive into my time here with relish, but something tells me I won’t be so lucky. Not unless he manages to get ahold of Abel and organize my departure. I’d more than happily hear from him then.

“I like you already,” I say, taking a deep breath as I try my luck. “Do you mind helping me out?”

“You shouldn’t,” she murmurs, adding to all the confusion I’m already handling.

“I shouldn’t what?”

“Like me. Nobody does.” Her words ripple in my soul, her pain evident in every word.

I want to say “me too” or “girl, same,” but that would diminish her feelings right now, and that’s not my aim. Things are shit, and people even more so.

“I’m not nobody,” I state in an attempt to reassure her. “I’m Raven.” I watch her rub her lips together nervously as she twists a piece of blonde hair framing her face.

“I’m Leila.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” I feel like a fraud. This level of nicety is not the norm for me, but I’m not usually so out of my depth either.

She clears her throat, standing tall as she smiles. “I’m free first period. I can show you to the office if you like.”

“Thank you,” I breathe in response, relieved I don’t have to navigate this place alone. I fall into step beside her, the courtyard completely empty now as we step inside and head back down the long corridor. When we’re back in the entryway, the cream and gold-flecked marble glistening around us, Leila pauses before a stone door to the left.

“I hope you’re ready for this,” she mutters, pushing it open and stepping inside.

I’m never ready for anything life throws at me, but I’ve made it this far.

What on earth could an academy like Silvercrest put me through that I haven’t already experienced?