Page 29

Snickers spread throughout the table.

Earwyn puts her hands on her hips. “You don’t know half of what you think you do. You’ll see.”

“No. You’ll see! How is it you think you can get away with talking about the king like that?”

She tilts her head. “Should I be worried? You gonna have him kill me?”

“Even if I tried, he wouldn’t kill anyone. Just leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”

Earwyn laughs loudly. “You think you can strike a deal with me, first-year?”

Halen loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go.”

I shake my head. “I’m not going to be intimidated by Earwyn.” I glare at my enemy. “I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m not looking for trouble. I just want to get through the academy like everyone else.”

“Is that why you’re in the suite? To be just like everybody else?”

“I’ll have you know, I didn’t ask for that!”

“Right.”

“I didn’t. And I don’t have anything to prove to you.” I race out of the dining hall before she can say another word. If this is what it’s going to be like, I’d rather not have any part of academy life. Not only am I a fish out of water—well, actually in water—I have to deal with the animosity of people who believe my dad is a killer. No thank you. Who started such a rumor, anyway? Someone who’s upset about my uncle’s death? Or somebody who has it out for my dad—or our whole family?

Students are milling around my path back to the suite, so I go in the opposite direction and find myself in a dark hallway similar to the one I entered the building in. This one has different portraits and statues. I slink into a corner and take deep breaths.

Part of me wants to go right back to the dining hall and punch Earwyn in the nose. But that won’t get me anywhere. I’m not winning any popularity contests, and the last thing I need is to make things worse for myself.

What I need is to get back home. If I had any doubts about being here, they’ve been solidified—I don’t want to be here, and nobody other than Halen wants me here either. I should be back in my own room with my belongings and Ivy and Roman and my other friends. A place where people don’t hate me. And it’s not like my parents will miss me. They’re in the castle, ruling Valora, while I’m stuck here. Dad basically couldn’t wait to get rid of me.

I just need to figure out how to get back.