5. Raven

5

RAVEN

Idon’t know where to look first with all of the testosterone up in here. Did someone turn the heat up? Fuck.

Observing the tallest of them first, I’m met with muscles on top of muscles. His cropped brown hair and broad frame as he stands with his arms folded over his chest make him look almost daunting but, if anything, I find him intriguing. Especially his eyes. One’s brown, the other green. It’s alluring. He’s dressed in a white loose-fit tank and a pair of gray shorts with a scowl on his face as he assesses me.

Swiftly moving on, the guy beside him rakes his fingers through his tousled brown hair, blue eyes piercing into my skin as his chiseled jaw flexes for the briefest second before a wicked grin touches his lips. He’s in the same uniform as I’ve just been fitted for, the gold accentuating his olive skin as he looks me up and down.

There’s a moody one and a flirt. How original.

Continuing around the group, inquisitive onyx eyes meet mine. He tucks his black hair behind his ear as he purses his lips. His face is completely expressionless, making it hard for me to get a read off him. With his hands tucked into his pants pockets, he seems happy to just observe what’s going on around him.

Unlike the guy to the right who announced me as their new housemate. Hazel eyes are framed with black-rimmed glasses and his blond hair sticks out in every direction as if he hasn’t stopped tugging at the ends. He’s wearing a band tee with worn jeans and an almost-knowing smile on his face.

They’re all easily over six feet tall, making my five foot seven feel short in comparison. Do they only accept giants around here or something?

I’m not quite sure how I feel under their intense stares. It’s clear I’m stepping on their territory, but their reaction is still yet to be decided.

“She’s not a guy,” the brown haired one with the wicked grin assesses.

The tall brute beside him shrugs. “That’s obvious, man.”

“Aren’t housemates supposed to be all the same sex?” Mr. Band Tee questions, and I shake my head at them.

“I’m standing right here, you know.” I toss my hair over my shoulder as if that will somehow make me more corporeal.

“Oh, so she speaks,” Band Tee Guy retorts, a snort following swiftly after.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to give him a piece of my mind, but Onyx Eyes waves his hand. “He doesn’t have a filter, so you’re going to have to sit back and let him process this out loud with us.” He makes it sound like it’s a common occurrence, but I’m not sure why the responsibility falls to me too.

Reluctantly, I nod, letting the front door shut behind me as they all continue to watch my every move like I’m from another dimension or something. “Can I take a seat while this happens? I’m exhausted and my legs are aching.” I point to the chair they’re all hovering by and the quiet guy nods, taking a step back.

The second my ass hits the seat, the four of them adjust their stance to face me.

“Who are you?”

“Raven.”

“Raven who? I don’t know a Raven,” Mr. Band Tee states, and I smile.

“Now you do.” He completely ignores my sass as he points to himself.

“I’m Zane, this is Creed, Eldon, and Brax,” he introduces, waving his finger at his friends too.

Creed is Mr. Quiet with the onyx eyes, Eldon with the wicked grin, and Brax the muscle man.

“I’m confused how you’re here. You don’t have a guy’s name so it’s not like there could be any confusion,” Brax grunts, and I shrug.

I might be here, but that doesn’t mean I have any answers. Shit, I’ve got more questions than them at this point.

“When did you get here?” Creed asks, remaining further back than the others as his gaze locks on mine.

“About two hours ago.”

“Where are you from?” Zane interjects, happy to keep bombarding me with questions.

“Shadowmoor.”

He pauses at that. All of them do. Their brows furrow together in sync, heads tilting slightly to the left as they stare me down.

“That’s not possible,” Eldon counters, his wicked grin still in place.

I look down at my lap, then to my hands, before lifting my chin again. “I mean, it must be because I’m sitting right here.”

“The fuck?” Brax grunts, nostrils flaring. “There’s no one from Shadowmoor here.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say to you, and honestly, I’m cranky as shit. I’ve barely slept since I was pulled from my home, the drive here wasn’t the best, the shit I’ve had to deal with since getting here is only making me more irritated, and I really did come from Shadowmoor. If you don’t want to believe that, then it’s cool, but can I step out instead of wasting everyone’s time?” I ask, pointing toward my bedroom door and the deluxe bed I know is on the other side begging for me to take a nap.

Four sets of eyes stare at me, silence washing over the room as they each assess me before Eldon takes a step toward me. “Is that what the marking is on your face?”

My fingers run over the mark I know sits at my temple. “Yes.”

“Is it there by choice?” Zane quizzes, nose scrunching with a hint of distaste.

“No.”

He’s in my personal space in the next moment, thumb knocking my hand away as a warmth radiates from his touch. Before I can question him, he’s moving away, a pleased smile on his face, but the lingering heat from the brush of his skin against mine remains.

“All better.”

Creed must understand the confusion I’m feeling because he explains. “It’s gone.”

“No fucking way,” I gasp, running my hand over the spot again like I’ll be able to feel a change. When I realize it’s not as simple as that, I jump to my feet, taking two steps toward my room before a handheld mirror is held out in front of me.

Eldon offers me a knowing smile as I peer at my reflection. My hair is straggly, my eyes tired, but there’s not a single sign of a marking on my face.

“Holy fuck.” Zane chuckles as I look at him, even more pleased with himself as I stare at him in awe. “Thank you, honestly,” I breathe, shaken by the relief flooding through my veins.

“No problem. I don’t know why you haven’t done it yourself.”

I avoid his gaze as embarrassment heats my cheeks.

“I didn’t know I could.” Running my hands over my pants, the clammy feeling doesn’t leave. “Was that your gifted power or just casual?” I ask, hoping to distract from myself and it works.

“Just casual.” He smiles, taking the bait, but I don’t miss the fact that he doesn’t offer what his gifted power is. Good. That means we shouldn’t have to expose the fact that I’m a fucking Void.

“So, since we’re diving into the deep end here and it seems as though we’re going to be sharing our space, what’s your surname?” Eldon asks, and I bite back the sigh threatening my tongue.

They’re going to piece it together eventually so I may as well be honest.

“Hendrix.”

“As in Sebastian Hendrix.” Brax’s disapproval is clear with the way my brother’s name burns his tongue. I don’t know whether I was expecting them to fawn over him or something, just like the students did in the courtyard, but to my surprise, they’re all wearing scowls.

“Yeah,” I rasp, and Brax huffs. “I can’t read what your anger means. If you hate him too, then—”

“Wait, you’re Raven Hendrix, as in Abel Hendrix’s daughter that’s been in hiding for the past fourteen years?” Creed catches me by surprise with his knowledge. I don’t know whether to confirm or deny since only half of that statement is true. The looks I’m getting from the four of them tell me some form of explanation is going to be needed anyway.

Clenching my hands, I exhale sharply. “Yes, that Abel Hendrix, but I technically wasn’t in hiding. I was living in Shadowmoor, remember?”

“No way,” Eldon huffs, eyes narrowing at me. “My mother was friends with Evangeline. I would know if you were in Shadowmoor.”

“Did he miss the marking on my face?” I direct my question back at Creed, my eyebrows raised as he shrugs in response.

“I’m standing right here,” Eldon interjects, and I turn a wide smile his way.

“It doesn’t feel too great, does it?” My lips twist, preparing for him to lay into me, but he just rolls his eyes and waves me off.

“None of this makes any sense.” Brax glares at me, even as I nod in agreement with his statement.

“You’re telling me. I have shit to figure out and classes to attend tomorrow and I don’t know anything, so if we’re done here, I have a lot to wrap my head around.”

I take a backward step toward my assigned room, and when no dispute arises, I take another, and another, until the door handle is in my grasp.

“We’ll be eating in two hours. That’s how long you have to get a grasp on your seemingly-new reality.” Eldon gives me a pointed look and I nod in agreement.

“Anything else?”

The four of them look at each other, something silently communicating between them before Creed takes a step toward me but stops short as he tucks his hands into his pockets.

“If all of this is true, Sebastian is going to make life hard for you, Raven.”

“I thought as much. He’s never made anything easy. But I’ve spent the past fourteen years in the depths of Hell, I can protect myself.”

* * *

The extra curriculum sheet blurs in my hand as I try and fail to read it again for the fiftieth time. I got into the vehicle and came here of my own volition because I had no prospects, no future, but now? I don’t know whether I like this as an alternative. The schedule is filled with everything. There’s just too much.

Hand-to-hand combat, ordnance training, team building, and survival instincts are just some of the mandatory classes, leaving me worried over what will come. One thing is clear though: they’re training us for war. A war I’m not entirely aware of. The lady at the shop mentioned that I would pay with my life, like it was a known fact and expectation. I don’t recall anything like that being mentioned in Shadowmoor, but then I guess we were all fighting among ourselves there instead. The soldiers of Shadowmoor protected just that: Shadowmoor. They never actually left the perimeter.

Some of the other classes are more magic specific, but I don’t really pay any attention to them since I have nothing to work with.

Stretching out on my bed, I squeeze my eyes shut tight before prying them back open again. The words seem to form a little better this time, but it’s still overwhelming to digest. I drop the sheet of paper with a sigh, deciding that now just isn’t the time for it, before draping my arm over my face.

A nap. I need a nap.

The second my eyes drift closed, a knock sounds at the door and I groan. Glancing at the time, I’m not the least bit surprised that exactly two hours have passed since I managed to slip away from my housemates.

When I don’t respond quickly enough, another rap of knuckles vibrates, louder this time. “I’m coming,” I huff, too intrigued by the prospect of uncovering more of their dynamic to argue.

Pulling the hair tie from my wrist, I quickly braid my hair back off my face as I head toward the door. The second I open it, I come face to face with the giant that is Brax with his fist poised in front of my door ready to knock again.

His eyes darken with annoyance as he takes a step back. “How nice of you to join us.” He stalks off to the dining table to join the other guys, unpacking boxes of food to fill the table.

“I don’t have to.” I remain in place as I defensively fold my arms over my chest.

“Actually, you do,” Zane hollers with a wide smile. “Maybe I should give you the housemate handbook to read after you’ve gone through all your academic stuff.”

“The what now?” I ask, closing my bedroom door behind me as I move to join them, avoiding Brax’s harsh stare.

I come to a stop at the end of the table and it looks like a barbecue exploded all over the damn thing with the amount of meats and sides there are. I gulp, completely out of my comfort zone. This is more food than I can process. This would feed me and Mama for a month back home, and here it is just effortlessly available.

“Sit here.” Creed draws my attention as he pulls the middle chair out on the right. A small smile curves my lips as I mutter my thanks. My body tingles with anticipation as he takes the seat to my left and Eldon drops down on my right.

Brax sits across from Creed and Zane directly opposite me. Eight eyes are all aimed in my direction and I feel like I can’t breathe. They really don’t make them like this back in Shadowmoor. There aren’t any niceties there. No one pulling your chair out or eating dinner together. It’s cut-throat by comparison and a little bit jarring. So much so that I’m struggling to let my guard down.

They each dig into the food, loading their plates up with a bit of everything. Once they’re all occupied, I reach for the plate of ribs in front of me, taking two before adding some of the potato salad as well.

Happy, I bask in the silence, refusing to look up at anyone as I eat, until Zane clears his throat. Peering through my lashes at him, I note the confusion knitting his brows. “Aren’t you going to have more?”

I finish the food in my mouth before reaching for a napkin. “More what?”

“Food.”

“I don’t know what you mean…” I tense under their scrutiny again as Brax huffs.

“You’re going to need to eat more than that to survive the training. You’re going to need to bulk up your slim frame too.”

My nostrils flare at his judgment of my body and I glare at him, ready to give him a piece of my fucking mind when Creed places his hand on my arm and halts me. “I think what Brax and Zane are trying to say is that, starting tomorrow, everything is going to be full on. They put our bodies through the wringer time and time again, and that’s only in the first class,” he explains, alleviating the tension in me slightly, but not completely.

“What does that have to do with my slim frame?” I bite, pointing another glare in Brax’s direction, but he doesn’t seem fazed by my irritation.

“They’ll make an example out of you. They’ll enjoy breaking you, Sebastian especially. This place isn’t for the weak,” Eldon states, annoying me more.

“I’m not weak.”

“Sure, but you’re not trained to this level either.”

He’s not wrong, but that doesn’t soothe me at all. I hate being underestimated.

“Food wasn’t as easy to come by back home, so I can’t eat more than what my body can handle.” I return my attention to the food on my plate and do my best to ignore them. Thankfully, none of them say another word about it and I get to finish eating in silence.

I could definitely reach for another rib or a chicken breast, but out of principle, I don’t touch anything else once I’m done.

“So, what’s this roommate book I need to know about?” I ask Zane, and he smiles, snapping his fingers to produce a file in his hands. Holy shit, he wasn’t joking.

“It contains all the rules and expectations of what you bring to the house.” I nod at his words like it makes sense as I take it from him, but it really doesn’t.

“I spoke with Professor Burton too. He’s aware you’ve been located here with us and he’s happy for this to be our arrangement, even though it goes against the grain.” I turn to Eldon and the confusion must be clear on my face because he continues. “Usually, girls share with girls and guys with guys.”

“Maybe I should complain, kick up a fuss so I can be relocated and not be an inconvenience.” I direct the end of my offer to Brax but he ignores me as Zane shakes his head.

“Nope. Everything happens for a reason. You were meant to be here, it’s as simple as that.”

“You’re good… for now, at least,” Eldon adds, and I shake my head in disbelief.

When do I get a say in my life again? It’s gone from zero to one hundred in a matter of hours and I need a breather.

“Just don’t bring any bullshit to our door. We have enough on our plates already,” Brax orders, not looking up from his food.

I can’t decide if they’re being nice or not. I’m so used to hostility that I find it in the smallest of gestures, and Brax seems far more irritated about my arrival than the others. That’s enough for me to get the hell out of here, but where else am I supposed to go?

Nothing is going to happen by the end of tonight though, that’s for sure. So I need to suck it up for now at least.

“Are we done, or does this file dictate the rest of my evening?” I ask, my snark clear as Zane cocks a brow at me, but he simply shakes his head.

“No. You’re good.”

I take that as my cue and stand to leave, but the second my chair scrapes back, a hand wraps around my wrist.

“Don’t fuck this up, Little Bird. Just keep your head down and your gaze averted. You might not last the week, but don’t fucking bring us down with you.” Eldon’s eyes shimmer with a rage that catches me so completely off-guard that any kind of verbal response is lost in me. It’s a complete contrast to the carefree grin he offered moments earlier.

Actions speak louder than words though and I really don’t take too kindly to being grabbed like that. Punching him in the gut, I’m met with tense muscles, but I still manage a dig harsh enough to make him grunt.

His groan echoes around me as I get the fuck out of there, slamming my bedroom door shut behind me as quickly as I can, too nervous to chance a peek over my shoulder as I go.

That was probably more aggressive than necessary, but he just reminded me that no one can be trusted. He needs to know I’m not a weak push over, an easy target, or someone that will effortlessly fall in line at his order.

I’m panting as my back hits the wood, prepared for some kind of response, but nothing comes except a short, sharp laugh, and I could swear it’s Brax, but that’s impossible. Right?

Nevermind surviving Silvercrest, I need to survive living in this goddamn house.