Chapter Five

Maureen

I open my eyes to the rain dripping down my windows in buckets. It takes a second for me to remember where I am. I glance around the room, willing my eyes to adjust to my new surroundings—the dark gray sheets and black comforter that envelop me, the black velvet curtains that frame the wrought iron barred windows, the sconce-lit chandelier that dangles just above my head threatening to impale me if it should ever fall. It's lavish and decadent and cold. Just like them .

A shudder rips through me as I remember last night. The looks on their faces… Riot, Atlas, and Valentin didn't just hate me… their eyes were murderous. All because of a name. My mother's cursed fucking name. And I have no clue as to why.

But I will fucking find out.

I throw back the sheets and flinch as my bare feet hit the icy marble floor. I thought Wickford Mansion was bougie, this place takes it to a whole other level. When I looked at the pictures of Tenebrose online last year, I knew it would be fancy, but nothing prepared me for this .

I wonder what the regular dorm rooms look like. The one I was supposed to be staying in. While a tiny part of me is elated to be surrounded by all this extravagance, the rational part of me knows it comes at a price—a target on my back, and the opening of a creepy can of worms that would rival Pandora's box. Not to mention the actual price. This isn't what I signed up for.

Bailey gave me plenty of money to cover tuition, room and board, and basic living expenses, but I don't believe that this apartment, which takes up an entire floor, is in my budget. There's no fucking way. I have to go and speak to someone about this on Monday. I'll explain the mix-up, that I'm not one of those Blackwells, and ask to be moved to a normal room with the rest of the regular students. I don't want the special treatment or the attention. In fact, I want the opposite of whatever this is. Then Libra and her psycho friends can forget all about me.

I barely spoke to Libra last night after the party. It was the quietest she's been since I met her. I didn't think she'd answer any of my questions truthfully anyway. She threw back another shot and then stumbled off to her room on the other side of the apartment while ranting on about curses and oaths. It was all very cryptic and vague. Just like my room assignment, the warnings about the woods from Miss Florian, the poisonous plants growing outside of Nocturnus, and the way everyone seems to stiffen at the name Blackwell. My mother had always told me that she left Ever Graves with my father because her family cut her off after she got pregnant with me. I'm starting to think there might be more to that story. Maybe she was running from something else.

And then there's Riot. The masked man kind enough to zip up my corset while I was covered in cum and alcohol in the bathroom of Wickford Mansion. Most of that night was a blur, up until I drove a knife through Chad's chest. I try not to think about any of it. But I could never forget Riot… his piercing blue eyes, the way he smelled like dark coffee and freshly rolled tobacco leaves…

If I hadn't already been defiled by those douchebags, I would have wanted him to defile me. There had been something electric between us. Something tethering us to each other for the briefest of moments. My fantasies since then consisted of him. But last night all that shattered. Riot, Atlas, and Valentin are nothing but over-privileged rich kids with control issues and a sick fascination with trying to intimidate freshmen.

Fuck them. If they think I'm scared of them, they have no idea who the fuck I am.

After taking a long hot shower, I throw on a pair of ripped jeans, brown leather riding boots, and a beige wool sweater. I crack open my bedroom door and breathe a sigh of relief when I realize Libra is nowhere in sight. Maybe she's still sleeping but hopefully, she's just out. I don't have the mental capacity to deal with her right now. That girl seems to have only two speeds—a lot and a lot more.

I throw my leather bag over my shoulder and head for the elevator. When the doors slide open I start forward then jump at the willowy figure standing inside. "Fuck. Jessamine, you scared the shit out of me."

The girl giggles. "Sorry, Maur. When I'm bored, I ride the elevator up and down. Did you know they sealed it off once? Because of the fire. They were trapped up here. I heard them choking. It's better now. No more smoke." She rocks back and forth on her feet, smiling like she's remembering a good dream.

Something in my gut twists. My skin prickles. There is something so off about this chick. And I don't like how casual she is with me. "Don't call me Maur. Only my best friend calls me that."

Jessamine's mouth gapes. Her eyes water. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "Professor Erebus always warns me about my manners." She drops her head down, and I feel like shit for snapping.

I let out a deep breath. "Fuck. It's fine. Sorry. Call me whatever you want. I just had a weird night. It's hard getting acclimated here."

Her smile returns, and she goes back to bouncing from side to side. "You should stay away from Nocturnus. The ravens might not let you leave next time."

I can't believe this girl is a student here. She is sweet but disturbed. She seems too young to be here and yet too old at the same time. "When was there a fire up here?" I find it hard to believe that my pristine apartment had been rebuilt recently. While the appliances and furniture were super modern, the windows and floors look antique.

The elevator doors ding open, and Jessamine hops out first. "Oh, it was a very long time ago. Like a century ago. I can't remember."

Um, what? "Wait. A hundred years ago? Jessamine, you're not making any sense. I thought you said you could hear them choking." I step out and look around at all the curious faces, their scrutiny aimed in my direction, and realize the strange little girl is gone. Again.

What the actual fuck? Now I look like a weirdo talking to myself again. She has got to stop doing that to me.

"I see you've met Jessamine. She must really like you." A striking girl with black hair and big brown eyes blocks my path.

"What makes you say that?" I almost made the poor girl cry in the elevator.

"She doesn't let everyone see her. But you can. Hence the liking you part," she teases. Her voice is warm and inviting. It makes me miss home. She sticks out her hand. "I'm Villette by the way."

I shake her hand, noticing how her flawless brown skin is makeup-free and gorgeous. How the hell does she keep that glow with all this rain and fog every day?

"I'm Maureen Bla—just Maureen." I shake her hand and cut myself off before I have yet another stranger look at me like they want to kill me. "I still don't understand what you mean about Jessamine."

Villette smirks. "I get it. My last name comes with baggage too. But, um, yeah so Jessamine is dead. She's you know, a ghost. Most of the students here think she's a myth but I've fed the birds with her on many occasions."

My stomach drops. Everything that has come out of Jessamine's mouth suddenly makes sense. "Fuck. How'd she die?"

Villette arches an eyebrow at me, a look of amusement in her eyes. "You believe me just like that?"

It was my turn to giggle. "Girl, I'm from Wickford Hollow. My best friend is a ghost."

Villette's grin widens. "I think I'm really going to like you."

A little bit of weight dissipates off my shoulders and for the first time since I arrived at Tenebrose, I'm excited to make a new friend. "Same. Wanna show me where the library is?"

Villette loops her arm through mine. "Be happy to."

Once we are outside, she tilts her head toward my ear and whispers, "Jessamine was murdered by the way. A long time ago. And she's not the only one."

A knot forms in the pit of my stomach. "By whom?"

Villette shrugs and quickens her pace, forcing me to do the same. "She says it was for the ravens. Some kind of sacrifice or something."

A tingling breaks out in my feet as my adrenaline surges. What the fuck was up with this town and their ravens? And did this have anything to do with the fire she mentioned earlier? "Did she tell you how she died?" I ask quietly.

She nods. "Poison."

Fuck.

Nocturnus .

A wave of nausea pans over me, and I stumble. Villette grips my arm tight, so I don't fall on my face. She giggles. "I got you. You'll get used to the uneven ground here. Some say Tenebrose was built on an ancient burial site and that the dead get restless. That they shift in their graves overnight."

Chills snake up my back. No, I will not fucking get used to that . What the fuck did I get myself into?

The monstrosity in front of me seems to glare back like I'm insulting its space just by standing there. Graves Library takes Gothic architecture to another level. With sharp edges, black walls, and stained-glass windows, it looks like a church that the devil moved into.

A chill snakes up my back as I follow Villette inside. She twists her dark hair around her fingers as she looks all the way up to the pointed ceiling and then sweeps her gaze around the room. "For as long as anyone can remember, they've been calling this place the graveyard. A play on the name I guess. But the books in here have a hint of darkness in them."

"Creepy," I mutter under my breath. "Why Graves?"

Villette pulls me forward, guiding me down the first aisle. "A tribute to the Graves family. They donated most of these books when they came here from Ever Graves centuries ago."

I stop to finger a book with a soft velvet spine and notice that most of the books on this shelf are missing titles. "Where's the family now?"

Her grip tightens around my arm. "They're all still in Raven's Gate. One of them goes to school here. His name's Riot. And fair warning, he's hot as fuck, but I'm convinced that pure evil runs in his veins. I'd stay off his radar if I were you."

My stomach knots. Fuck. "Good to know. Thanks." I wasn't about to tell Villette that I'd already had a run-in with him and his band of assholes. I'd hate to lose my first friend here minutes after meeting her.

"Same goes for his two besties, Atlas Thorn, and Valentin Erebus. Nothing good happens when those three are around," she continues.

I nod. Yeah, definitely not telling this chick that I'm already on their shit list. She'll avoid me like the plague if she finds out. "I would like to avoid trouble at all costs so that won't be a problem for me."

We take the spiral staircase up to the second floor to find a cozy sitting area with black leather couches and a dark wood coffee table facing a large stone fireplace. A few students are studying at one end; a stack of books is piled up on the other.

A little tingle of excitement flutters through me. If there was any place I could possibly find out information about my family, this would be it. "Is there a genealogy or local history section here?"

Villette's lips turn up into a smirk. "You doing some snooping?'

A nervous laugh skitters out of me. "Um, something like that. Just want to know what I've gotten myself into."

She nods her chin toward a door that's sandwiched between Gothic Literature and Victorian Poetry. "The archives are in there. But hey, I gotta run to the student store and pick up some more supplies for tomorrow. You going to Swallow later?"

Whoa. What? "Um, excuse me?"

She giggles. "Swallow. It's the campus bar."

Relief floods me, and I giggle back. "Oh, right. Yeah for sure. Meet you there later?"

Villette grabs my phone and punches in her number. "Text me when you're ready. I'll wait for you downstairs at The Nest so we can walk together."

I give my new friend a hug and watch in awe as she saunters away. Every student turns to watch her as well. She's stunning and radiates an energy that draws you in like a moth to a flame. What I would give to have even an ounce of Villette's confidence. I used to… But I lost it somewhere in between getting passed around at Billy's parties and everything that happened last Halloween at Wickford Mansion.

I shudder at the memory of steel pushing through flesh. I take a deep breath to try to quell the nausea that climbs up my throat. Ugh. It's bad enough that it haunts my sleep but during the day too now? Fuck me .

The door to the archives sticks when I push against it before finally opening with a loud creak. I look over my shoulder, expecting to see an onslaught of glares for being so noisy, but no one looks up from their books. I step into the sconce-lit room and close the door behind me, cursing under my breath as it creaks again.

The room is smaller than I expect. While the walls are lined with books, only a center island of shelves sits in the middle. I peruse some of the spines—more books without titles. Some have symbols etched into the binding. They look like alchemy symbols, similar to the ones painted on the ceiling of the admin building.

As I come around to the other side of the island, a figure moves in front of me. I shriek and drop my bag on the floor. My heart beats fast and I get ready to run until I see blonde hair and pale skin. Fucking Jessamine .

"Sorry, Maur, I didn't mean to scare you," she whispers.

I pick up my bag and wipe my sweaty palms over my jeans. "Dude, you just walked up on me out of nowhere in a creepy dark library room. What the fuck did you think was going to happen?"

She fingers the end of her braid. "I forget how quiet I am. Next time I'll be better. What are you doing here anyway? No one ever comes in this room."

I sigh. "It's fine. I need to find out more about my family. Was hoping there might be some Blackwell archives in here."

Jessamine gasps. "In here? That would be blasphemy. The Graves family took away anything with the name Blackwell on it decades ago."

Now, I'm annoyed. "Seriously? Why the fuck for?"

She looks around as if we aren't the only two people here before leaning in. "They committed horrible acts against the Graves. Unforgivable acts. You shouldn't have come here. It's not safe for you."

A cold draft tickles the back of my neck. I think about Riot's hatred of me. The rage in his eyes when he heard my last name. It's very personal and apparently dates back hundreds of years. I feel sick.

Fucking great.

I wonder how many times I can kick myself for not registering here as Maureen Gray. My stupid fucking insecurity wins again.

I palm my face, rubbing my temples as a headache starts to form. "So what's the story? Why is my family on Riot's shitlist?"

"I can't say."

"Jessa—"

"I can't say," she raises her voice. "I… don't remember. There's gaps in my memory. Sorry."

Fuckity, fuck, fuck . "Awesome. Well, at least point me to the books about his family then. I need to know who I'm dealing with."

She shakes her head, her eyes glassy. "Don't open that door, Maureen. You won't be able to close it if you do."

I am a lot of things, but a coward isn't one of them. "Classes start Monday, Jessamine. I only have twenty-four hours to prepare myself for what I'm walking into. I don't have time to sift through all of these. Please, for fuck's sake, show me which ones are about the Graves family."

She fists the sides of her white cotton dress, bunching the fabric in her palms. A wave of emotions seems to pass through her eyes before she shakes her head. "You won't find what you're looking for. This is his library, but he doesn't keep his secrets here."

I pinch my eyes shut as a searing pain shoots through my head. I grab onto a shelf as I lose my footing. "Fuck, I think I'm going to be sick."

Jessamine places a cold hand on my shoulder. "You need to leave this room. It doesn't want you here."

Don't need to tell me twice . My insides feel like they're cooking from within. I nod and dart out the door. Jessamine is gone again, and I'm not surprised. It's what she does. And she's also right. With every breath I take, the pain dissipates. First time I've been rejected by an entire room.

I rush into the nearest bathroom and brace myself on the sink. I suck on my lower lip and fight the last wave of nausea. But just as I start to feel better, it's snatched away. I look in the mirror to see Riot, Atlas, and Valentin staring back at me.

They glare daggers at me as I turn around. The edge of the sink digs into my lower back. I eye the door, calculating the distance between it and them. Fuck. I'm fucking trapped. Maybe another girl will walk in and call them out for being in here. As soon as I think that, Valentin bolts the door.

I sidestep slowly toward the door anyway as they surround me. Riot stands in the center like a beautiful monster, his blue eyes cold and vacant. "Going somewhere, Firecracker?"

My voice betrays me as I take another step back only to find myself up against the wall.

They close in.

Valentin threads his fingers through my hair. "I heard you like getting fucked in bathrooms."

"Go to hell," I cry out. My heart feels like it's going to explode. I'm sure of it.

"We're already in hell," Atlas counters. "And it's been less than stimulating. But now we've found something new to play with." As he towers over me, nudging my chin upward with his knuckles, I almost drown in his eyes. Almost. He's fucking gorgeous. All of them are. But I have to remind myself that they are predators.

My throat is dry. "No. That's not who I am anymore," I squeak out.

Valentin's grip tightens on my strands. "I disagree."

Atlas presses his thumb against my bottom lip. "I think she's going to let us play… isn't that right, darlin'? Unless you want us telling everyone all your dark and dirty secrets."

Fuck. What do they know? Riot was at that party last Halloween. He knows what those douchebags did to me in the bathroom. But did he see me go upstairs? Does he know what I did to Chad? My heart races as I struggle to keep my breath steady.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Fear mixed with anger twists in my gut like a knife.

Riot finally exhales, like a statue coming to life. He stalks forward and presses in close. That now familiar scent of coffee and tobacco envelops me. I want to breathe it in and spit it out in his face.

He pinches my hips hard between his fingers and gazes down at me with the ferociousness of a rabid animal. "Because we can."

"And because you share the blood of thieves," Valentin snarls.

Atlas yanks my lip down, forcing my mouth open. I gasp as he plunges two fingers deep inside. "And now we're going to get some payback."

My pussy, that traitorous bitch , twitches, and tingles as I taste the salt from his skin. I gag as he touches the back of my throat. But as tears stream down my cheeks, I glare daggers at them. I will destroy them for this.

"That's it, Firecracker. Look at me like you want to kill me." Riot digs his fingers into my hips while Atlas forces me to suck his fingers. "Give me all your pain. All your rage. Every fucking self-deprecating thought."

I can't move, pinned between the three of them. Riot wraps a hand around my throat and squeezes. He inches his other hand down my jeans and pulls my panties to the side. " Give me all your violence ," he rasps. A wave of dark euphoria ripples through me, pebbling my nipples as he thrusts two fingers deep inside my pussy.

Valentin nips at my ear, scraping his teeth across my lobe. "You like that, slut?"

I stagger back against the wall. A moan catches in my throat as I fight to keep quiet. I can't let them see the power they have over me right now.

Riot breathes heavily into my ear. "Your silence can't hide how fucking wet you are, Firecracker." He rolls his thumb over my clit and slowly kneads his fingers down into my core. "But I bet I could make you scream…"

Atlas pulls his fingers out of my mouth and licks them. "I bet you'd taste better with a mouth full of cum."

Fuck, I hate them. But my body is betraying me with every flick of his fingers. "Let me go."

Valentin snickers as he sticks a hand up my shirt and pulls my tit out of my bra. "Quit acting like you don't want this. I can smell how wet your cunt is." I bite my lip to try and stifle another moan as he pinches my nipple hard between his fingers.

Atlas lifts up my shirt and goes for my other breast. And I about lose it. The rage inside my chest burns like fire. But the trigger between my thighs is hotter. The pressure builds in my core as Riot thrusts his fingers deeper.

"You can play pretend with everyone else, but not us. We know who you really are," Riot mutters. He shoves a third finger in, and I buck. "Yeah, that's it. Be a good little slut for us. Ride my fucking hand."

I can't help it. Tears stream down my cheeks as the stimulation hits me from all sides. Atlas and Valentin roll my nipples between their fingers as I start to jerk my hips to the rhythm of Riot's fingers. I'm coming undone, a slave to my own selfish pleasure. Fuck. I'm not even drunk this time.

Riot's grip on my throat tightens as my hips sway faster. An orgasm grips me, rolling through me like a fucking tidal wave. I bite my lip hard, but I can't contain the deep moan that billows out of me. He squeezes tighter, and I can't breathe. "I could kill you right fucking now, Firecracker. And no one here would care. No one would stop me."

I claw at his wrist as my vision starts to blur.

"But I'm going to enjoy torturing you for a while first." He lets go, and I gasp for air.

"Get away from me," I hiss, my voice hoarse.

Valentin dips his head to my ear again and bites my lobe hard. "You'll never get away from us."

Atlas grins wide. "This was fun." He drags his finger across my stinging ear and holds it up. Just as I suspected, it's covered in blood. I tremble as he licks it off his finger. "Again, this would taste so much better with my cum in it."

Fucking assholes. And yet here I am panting between them, my nipples still rock hard and cream spilling from my pussy. What the actual fuck is wrong with me? Why am I like this?

Fists pound at the door. "I have to pee, assholes," a girl's voice shrieks from the other side.

Riot smirks and steps back. "You fucked up, Firecracker. This is my school, and you have no business being here. Your punishment will not be swift."

Valentin snickers as he unlocks the bathroom door. "I'd sleep with one eye open if I were you."

"Or both," Atlas adds, laughing as he leaves.

Riot looks back one last time. "If I were you, I wouldn't sleep at all." His eyes blaze with hate and malice. There's not an ounce of warmth or remorse for what they just did. For everything they are planning to do to me next.

Fuck.

Three girls brush past them, cursing as they enter the bathroom. They take one look at me and crack up laughing. "There's a reason they call them fresh meat every year," one quips.

Fuck these bitches. They don't know me.

Ugh. Who am I kidding? This is exactly who I am. And now I'm royally fucked because they won't stop coming for me. Nope, guys like that never stop. Riot, Atlas, and Valentin are out for blood, for revenge, and for their own twisted psychotic fun.

But if they want the slut in a bathroom version of Maureen, then they'll be sorry as fuck. Because what they don't know is I can be just as fucking vengeful and psycho as they are.