AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brushing my hands over my blazer, I’m good to go. I look foreign to my own eyes in the navy and gold uniform. The polished black shoes and white socks finish off the look, while my navy skirt falls mid-thigh. I hope we have alternative clothes to wear during active classes because the skirt is far from ideal for that.
I’ve secured my hair in a ponytail on top of my head and done my usual make-up routine: light foundation, concealer, a touch of bronzer, and a coat of mascara on my lashes. Finished with a touch of blush and a swipe of my nude lip gloss. I reach for the bag I found on my bed yesterday and head for the door.
I startle when I find Creed leaning against the wall beside it but he doesn’t even flinch. “How long have you been standing there?” I ask, hoping he missed me ogling him. The uniform is a stark contrast to the loose jogger shorts and no tee from earlier, but he’s still hot as hell.
He shrugs. “Do you have your schedule?” Nodding, I dig into my bag to find it and he takes it from my hands before replacing it with another piece of paper. “We have most of the same classes together anyway, but that’s a copy of my schedule so you know where I am,” he states, returning my schedule.
“Thanks,” I breathe, starting to feel the nerves of the day thrumming through my veins.
“Are we leaving or what?” The sound of Brax’s voice makes me whip my head around to the front door, where I find him standing beside Eldon and Zane. They’re all dressed in their uniforms and I have to fight the urge to fan my cheeks.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“We’re good,” I muster, tucking the sheets of paper away in my bag before falling into step with Creed and the others as we head outside.
Silence settles over us as we take the path toward the main building and I notice a few other small groups of students heading in the same direction. Despite my best efforts, I don’t miss the subtle glances our way, but I can’t decide if they’re eyeing me as the new kid or checking out the men surrounding me. My money is on the latter, especially if the soft giggle from the group of four girls in front is anything to go by.
“I didn’t realize I was rooming with campus royalty,” I tease, a grin tugging at my lips as I nudge Zane beside me.
He rolls his eyes dramatically as Eldon chuckles, glancing over his shoulder to peer at me. “What can I say, Little Bird? You’re in the presence of greatness.”
I wrinkle my nose as Brax shoves his elbow into Eldon’s gut with a grunt. “Not when you say cringy shit like that.”
“Sorry about Eldon, Raven. His ego needs deflating sometimes.” Creed smiles, knowing his words are an understatement for the man leading the way. Eldon scoffs.
“My ego is just fine, but if you want to talk about something big, I can redirect our—”
He doesn’t get to finish that sentence as Brax elbows him again. “You’re making me cringe. Shut the fuck up.”
Eldon pouts, looking back at me for sympathy, but I shake my head at him instead. I can’t get past the contrast between the funny man before me right now and the guy who warned me not to bring trouble to his door yesterday. They’re opposite ends of the scale.
The large arched entryway into the academy looms ahead and I tilt my head back as we step through it, staring up in wonder at the intricate carvings that line the stone walls. How can somewhere be this pretty when Shadowmoor is so…gloomy?
“What’s the first class?” I ask, feeling a little anxious as we walk through the cream and gold marble hallway. The pathway isn’t as clear now as more and more students linger around, but they seem to shuffle to the side slightly for my housemates and I’m just lucky to be in the middle of them. For first years, it’s surprising they seem to have such a presence.
“The History of Silvercrest and the Eliven Realm,” Zane offers, placing his hand on the small of my back as he guides me to the left when we reach the end of the corridor. Heat blooms at his touch, rising up my spine and sending a shiver through my core. His head whips to mine, eyes wide, and he looks as startled as I feel. A moment passes between us, leaving me breathless, before he quickly pulls his hand away.
I choke in a sharp breath, aiming my gaze straight ahead as I will my body to calm down from his touch.
“Hey, baby.” A girl’s sweet and sickly voice travels through the air over the hum of everyone else and Eldon stiffens in front of me. It’s only slight, and if I wasn’t standing right behind him, I’m sure I wouldn’t have noticed, but it seems to ripple through the other guys as we stop.
He doesn’t respond, just a nod as he turns into the room on our left and the others follow him. Creed swings his arm out for me to follow after Zane and only then do I see the pissy look on the girl standing by the door. Her brunette hair falls in perfect waves around her face, highlighting the green of her eyes, while her red-painted lips turn up in a sneer the second she lays eyes on me.
My back stiffens and my fists clench, ready to defend myself like I would have done back in Shadowmoor, but Creed nudges me through the doorway before I can make a move.
“Hey,” I shout-whisper, glaring at him over my shoulder, but his face remains as impassive as ever. “Why did you do that?” I push, still slowly stepping forward even though I have no clue where I’m walking.
“Do what? Save you from an unnecessary shit show?” He cocks a brow at me, irritating me even more, but the sound of my name distracts me.
“Raven. Hey.” Leila stops me in my tracks as she smiles wide, offering a slight wave in greeting.
“Hey, can I sit with you?” I blurt, overwhelmed by the presence of my housemates and needing some space.
“Uh, yeah. Are you sure, though? I told you yesterday—”
“And I didn’t tell you that people usually hate me on sight so, if anything, we’re a perfect fit,” I retort, interrupting her, but my harsh words only make her relax and she smiles with a nod.
“Okay, well, I usually sit—”
