Page 7

T his academy is a maze—and a spooky one at that.

One minute, I’m walking down a corridor that could easily double as a not-so-friendly ghost’s living room with its giant fireplace, and the next, I’m going up black stone stairs that seem to spiral in three different directions.

We are following a second-year with black hair and an attitude problem, because anytime anyone has asked her a question, she has told them to fuck off.

Based on her attitude alone, I’m sure showing us to our rooms is a punishment for her.

Eventually she stops, waving at the staircase on the other side of the bare room we are in.

Looking through the small windows, I can see we are high up.

I’m guessing this is one of the many towers I saw.

The girl leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Wini leans into my ear to whisper, “She hates us.”

“Seems like it,” I mutter, walking through the crowd to the staircase.

The staircase is a spiral with exits on each level, taking us to our rooms, I assume, black doors with names on each of them.

“Our rooms. Time to find our name.” We head up, checking each door, and I groan the higher we climb without seeing our names yet.

“At least I’m going to be fit climbing these steps every day,” I breathe out.

“My door. Looks like we are the top two and neighbors.” She grins at me.

I’m still focused on the fact I have to climb up and down these stairs every single day for three years.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She stops.

“We are friends, so I’m telling you the only warning I was given before coming here.

I was told not to leave the room until nightfall tomorrow. ”

“Why? How do we get food or drinks?” I question her. I’m not sure I can trust her yet. I really don’t know her that well, but she’s been kind so far.

“I don’t know, but you’ve seen how many of us were already drowned.”

“Okay, then.” I nod, leaving her to go into her room, and climb the final part of the steps to my door.

My name is in bold white writing on the door, like someone drew it on with a marker, but I reach up and touch it, feeling it is pressed into the wood.

The door clicks at my touch before slowly opening, and lights immediately flicker on, lanterns on the walls of the huge space.

It’s much bigger than I thought it would be.

There’s a triangle window that looks over the forest, taking up the back wall, with a grid of black lines making the pattern of mountains.

In front of the window and pushed up against it is a double bed with dark sheets that match the wooden frame.

There are two chests of drawers on the other wall, next to a wardrobe that is open.

My suitcase is inside, along with my new uniform.

Rows of black cloaks with red stitching and lines, along with tight black uniforms, are hung up for me.

A full-length mirror stands on the other side of the room, with a door next to it.

I glance inside, seeing a fully functioning bathroom, including a huge domed black bath, a toilet, and sink.

The floor is all dark wood, complementing the dark purple wallpaper, and it’s gloomy in here in a cozy way.

I love it. There are quite a few cobwebs on the ceilings, but it’s mine. It’s safe.

I jump on the bed and lie back, looking at the beautiful ceiling that’s slanted and all painted black, before I roll over and stare out of the window, watching the sky, watching the endless sea. Something silver catches my attention in the sky, in the far distance, and I sit up. What is that?

There are two sharp knocks on my door that make me jump. “Hey, it’s me! Your room is spelled to only let in who you want, so you need to tell me to come in.“

Rue. My foster sister. She’s here. I rush off the bed and across the room, opening the door for her.

Rue looks like her mother, there is no denying that, with her long straight blonde hair and bright hazel eyes.

She has the same body shape and face as her mother too, but she isn’t cruel.

She isn’t her mother, and I always knew that.

Yes, we argued sometimes, like all children, but never once did she make me feel worthless. “Rue, you look older! Come in!”

She steps in with relief shining in her eyes, and she pulls me into a tight hug.

It’s strange to see her in the black academy clothes and how toned she is now.

We’ve only ever hugged five, six times in our entire lives.

Mostly when we fought like real siblings and neither one of us knew how to say sorry.

We hugged instead. But it was never like this, not like she doesn’t want to let go.

I hug her back just as tightly. “Okay, I know you didn’t reply to any of my letters, so you might hate me.

Which is fair because I didn’t stop my mom from being…

well, her. I just knew if I stepped in, she might throw you out, and I didn’t want that to happen.

She hurt me too. I don’t know if you knew that, but she did.

Anytime I did something wrong. Look, even if you hate me, please listen to what I said in the letters.

I assume you knew about the bridge since you’re still here, so you must have read that one?—”

“Stop!” I cut her off, leaning back. “What letters? I didn’t know about the bridge until it started falling away!”

She stares at me for a long moment. “Mom never gave you the letters I sent every month, did she?”

I shake my head. “No. I asked about you, but she told me that you were busy and that we aren’t really family, so I shouldn’t expect you to?—”

“We are family. Not by blood, but by this.” She taps her heart.

“I wrote every week to you with countless warnings about this place and how to survive it. I was careful not to break the rules and the contract, but I added things like “run at the bridge” and so much more hidden. I knew you’d get in and you’d be smart enough to read between the lines of my letters.

You’re smarter than anyone else I know.” She narrows her eyes.

“I’m not writing to my mom after this. This is low, even for her abusive ass. ”

A laugh echoes out of me. I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it. I’m relieved when she laughs with me. “It seems her age-old game of trying to pit us against each other didn’t work.”

“No.” She stops laughing, and she goes serious.

“I’m not allowed to stay long. We’re not meant to converse with the first-years in the first few days.

It’s just against the rules, but fuck them.

You need to find Aster. He’s a wolf and big with white fur.

He’s the brother of my bonded, and he knows all about you.

Aster’s happy to bond with you, okay? He’ll keep you safe, and he’ll be an easy bond.

He’s not as big as my bonded wolf, but he’s strong and kind, and that’s what matters in the war.

I’ve seen most of my class die because of the bond being rejected or going wrong. You need safe, and he is it.”

“Thank you.” I grip her hands.

She looks down. “Living in that house was hell, and it took me getting out of it to realize how much it was ruining me, turning me into her…and I didn’t want that.

The war took my father and brother, who were both kind and sweet…

and I am doing this for them.” Her shoulders drop.

“Well, I guess there isn’t anyone in this academy who isn’t fighting for a lost soul or two.

I am glad my mother took you in, but we both know that you probably would’ve been better off with someone else and not her.

Somehow you managed to stay nice throughout all of it, which makes me…

well, I’m grateful. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my only family, and I want to make sure you survive.

Listen to me, find Aster in the forest. He’ll be looking for you too, but it’ll be madness when you get in there. ”

She pulls out a dagger. It’s silver, and a glittering blade, and she presses it into my hand.

“Take this to cut your hand on the bloodstone and to defend yourself.” I curl my hand around it.

“Remember this: people will try to kill you in the corridor when you step out tomorrow night, so please run fast like we used to when we chased the ice cream woman down the street, begging her to stop so we could get something. Just run, the academy will show you the way, and trust yourself. Jump off the stairs if you have to. The less competition, the better, and some of the assholes here just like killing for sport and fun. They aren’t allowed to kill you once you bond.

Two: do not trust anybody that’s not me.

Three: You must not leave this room until tomorrow night, until the sun sets.

The academy’s small creatures will bring you food and water.

Don’t worry, you don’t see them. They take all your washing, anything that needs to be done around here. ”

“Understood.” Wini was telling me the truth, then.

She heads to the door. “Oh, and one more thing. Four: stay away from the dragon shifters. They’re called Valeron Drexan, Kane Ardian, Black Ashveil and Mazikeen Lycidas.

They’re mean fuckers and the last four dragon shifters left in the world.

They don’t want to bond with any witch, and everyone wants to bond with them.

In fact, they hate witches. Most of the idiots here will try to go for them because being bonded to even one dragon would be, well, it would change the war.

” She shivers. “They will make a blood bath of fire on bonding night in the forest. Just run.”

“Okay, stay away from the dragons, got it. Find Aster.” Kane was on that list, and he doesn’t sound anything like the boy I remember. “And run fast.”

She pauses at the door. “By the way, I’m proud of you. I know she wouldn’t have said it, but it’s true. I’ve always known you will be the one to change everything. It all begins tomorrow, sister.”

Sister. She has never called me that before. I lift my head, feeling tears itching the corner of my eyes. “See you after the Bloodstone Forest at the celebration.”

Rue leaves the room with one last smile, and I sit on the end of the bed, looking at the dagger in my hand. I can’t hurt anyone; how could I use this? I’ve spent my life buried in books and never once thought knowledge wasn’t enough. What have I gotten myself into?