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“Remove this.” Headmistress Baxter gestures to the entire statue. “Whatever you did to it, undo it. We can’t havethisbe the first thing visitors see.” She takes the tin away with her as she sweeps upstairs.
I watch her as she goes, drained and bitter. I should have expected this. This is all part of it. Break me down. Tear me apart. Rip me a new one. I haven’t joined a new school. I’ve joined a military academy.
I sag at the plinth of the statue, collapsing in front of the fighting lion and unicorn. I don’t even know what they’re fighting over. What reason do they have to even fight in the first place? They’re not being targeted by bullies and forced into unfair detentions, they’re not hundreds of miles away from home in a castle built of stone under a sky that’s always gray.
My first day. This is myfirst day.
I hold my head in my hands, my body crumpled over my knees.
Just as I’m about to stand back up, there’s a noise nearby. I glance between the unicorn’s legs to see Rory, Luke and Finlay standing beside the dining hall, each of them carrying a wicker basket. I frown. Where did they come from? The dining hall has been shutsince dinner ended. Also, are they going on some kind of picnic? I glance at my watch and cold dread runs down my spine. It’s eleven o’clock at night and I still have to clean off the damned polish. I don’t even know if youcanclean off polish that’s already been applied.
Through droopy eyes, I look through my selection of brushes, trying to decide which one is most up for the job.
“Whatareyou doing?”
It’s Luke, and I realize I’m staring pretty ferociously at a toothbrush. His head is cocked to the side and he looks weirdly amused.
Is that His Royal Highness? Do I have to bow? Curtsy? Do something funny and completely unnatural with my legs?
Instead, my body decides I should just stare at him, which isn’t hard to do since being a wealthy ex-royal apparently means looking good at all times. He has high cheekbones, maybe even higher than Rory’s, and dark tilted eyes that seem to dance with a secret glee. I glance behind Luke, flustered by having the full-blown attention of aprinceon me.
I don’t know why he affects me like this. His status? Rory and Finlay don’t, but Luke…
It’s like all I can do is squeak at him.
Rory and Finlay aren’t far behind, ditching their wicker baskets at the foot of the staircase.
“Hello?” Luke waves down at me. “Earth to — uh, remind me of your name.”
“Jessa.”
“Jessa. Right. Hi, I am Luke.”
“I know. We’ve met.”
“Indeed. You tripped right into me, did you not? Practically fell at my feet.”
“We also hadmathtogether.”
Luke grins at me like he enjoys this bit of snark. “And now you are, what? Arguing with a toothbrush?” He laughs — a bright, ringing sound that’s mocking to my ears. “Has your first day made you crack?”
I bring my tired gaze up to him slowly, my eyes narrowing.
He has no idea about my life. He can probably swan into somewhere like Lochkelvin and come out with all the necessary qualifications without so much as lifting a finger.
“What do you care? You’re probably the one who got me into this position.”
Luke’s grin falters. “How unkind.” His stance straightens and he frowns down at me. “You should be grateful to be in this school at all, even if youarejust the cleaner.”
The cleaner. They see me asthe cleaner.
I throw my soapy wet sponge at Luke and it lands slap-bang against his shirt, moisture seeping into the fabric and making it cling to his chest. When Luke’s nipples appear through the translucent white shirt in two dark spots, I realize throwing a dripping wet sponge at a member of the Royal family may have been a mistake.
Finlay snorts then disguises it with a cough when Luke glares sharply at him.
Oh, God, I’m going to be escorted to the tower for treason.
“So shecanfight back,” Finlay notes with interest, slinging his arm around Luke and inspecting the wet school shirt for himself. His fingers pluck the soaked material as though he finds it entertaining. “We were beginnin’ tae think ye were a saint.”
