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She arched her eyebrow and drank some more from her flute while she waited for me to consider my own question. I thought of the NDA papers I had signed, of how my brothers were sent away to boarding school, and how pretty much every small detail of our old lives had been wiped away.
Of course she wasn’t joking. Who would go through these lengths to setup a family in a new city and a fancy boarding school, with designer clothes and a furnished apartment, just to be funny? “I have no plans to tell anyone what I know. I just want my family to be safe. I want to finish high school and go to Columbia.”
“And you can have all that. As long as you adhere to the guidelines in the agreement you signed. And blend into the student body at Midtown High.” She rubbed my upper arm. “Don’t look so mortified. This is the best thing that could’ve happened to you. Very few people are allowed to join our ranks. Your father must’ve done something huge for Don Alfera.”
She picked one of the bite-size quiches off the plate and bit into it with grace. I did the same. Then stopped to savor the explosion of exquisite flavors in my mouth when the pastry melted on my tongue. I’d never had something so delicious.
Everything about this world was intoxicating and addicting. Today was only my second day, and as much as I feared for my family’s safety, I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to have a friend like Penny. I wanted everything.
“Are you ready to go? We have one more stop.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m giving you a private tour of our school. Finish your sweets and then we’ll go.” She beamed at me.
I tried to play it cool and not let a giggle escape my lips. Was I ready to see more ofherworld? Correction—this was my world now. Dad was right. There was no going back.
Chapter4
Who Are They?
Aurora
After spending a good part of the afternoon with Penny, I found myself in her black SUV, heading to Midtown and excited to see the school for myself. The buzz and bustle of the city on a Friday afternoon faded to the background as I considered everything Penny had said to me while we were eating brunch, doing a bit of shopping, and visiting the different hangout spots for Midtown High students.
The car pulled up to the curb in front of a tall gate. I leaned forward, mouth slightly open, to get a good look through the car window. Past the tall wrought-iron society crest and stone steps, stood what looked like an old church. On our way here, Penny had mentioned that the grounds used to have a church and a mansion that were repurposed to serve as a school, about ninety years ago.
Only families with ties to and in good standing with the five original crime families were invited to attend. This place was more than a private school. It was a status symbol, reserved for the most elite. I inhaled to ease the thumping in my chest. My heart beat fast with a mix of nerves and fear. This place could make or break me. As intrigued as I was by the opportunity to be here, I hadn’t forgotten that I didn’t belong. I was still an outsider.
Penny had made it very clear that one false move and my entire life would crumble like over-baked quiche. Her words, not mine.
The gates swung open, and Penny scooted over to my side. “Signoria Vittoria called ahead. We can go in.” She motioned for me to get out then gave her driver a single nod. “We’ll start with Adaline.”
“With what?”
“The dining hall and general gathering place. Have you not been following the theme of our afternoon?” She rolled her eyes. “Come on. We only have access until six.”
“Okay.”
“Hmm.” She leaned over me to open the car door. “Make sure you use bigger words when you speak to our professors.”
“Right. I forgot.” I wasn’t sure what was wrong with the word ‘okay,’ but I supposed I had to trust her on this one.
I followed her through the gates, up the steps, and through the courtyard. The area had well-manicured hedges with blooming flowers, while maple trees provided plenty of shade. I could only assume reddish small flowers hanging from the limbs were the reason for the sweet scent in the air. As we made our way further in, I had to look back to make sure we were still in the city.
“Here we are.” Penny strode ahead of me and opened the double doors.
We went under the tower and into a breezeway that led to the great hall. The stain glass reminded me this place used to be a church. At my old school, we didn’t have a dining hall. We had a cafeteria that served food that came out of huge plastic containers. Adaline had a kitchen with an executive chef, a sous chef, and a pastry chef.
“Like I said, the menu is farm-to-table, so it changes with the seasons. Sushi is always available, and it’s to die for.” She cocked her head to look at me then followed my line of sight upward. “Oh, the ceiling and windows. I was impressed the first time I saw them too. I believe it’s called Didactic architecture.” She pointed to either side of the building. “Through the stained glass, sculptures, and tapestries, the students can learn the history of the Society. That’s how churches teach Bible studies.”
“The Society?” I furrowed my brows. I probably should’ve been taking notes.
“The Society is comprised of the five original crime families. They first organized when Prohibition started as a way to protect our community.” She scoffed. “I said all this before. Pay attention.”
“Right. I remember.” I sifted through all the information she’d crammed into my brain in the past four hours and thought of the different family names and the industries they controlled. The tapestries on the walls had those names embroidered on them, along with other symbols and animals.
“Your house mascot is a raven.” Penny gestured toward the tapestry done in different shades of blue. The word wisdom was embroidered over a hand holding three floating gears of different sizes. “That’s done in real gold, by the way.”
