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“Yes.”
“H-he sent you?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“He sent you here?” What more confirmation does she need for the same question?
“Yes.”
She sits tall in her seat, nervously rubbing her lips together as she continues to eye me. “And your name is…”
“Raven Hendrix.”
Her skin practically turns to ash as her eyes widen and her hands fly to her chest. She’s dipped in fear, laced with poison, and on her way out. I’m sure of it.
“I’m so sorry, miss, I…” her words trail off as she rises to her feet, glancing around all flustered, and understanding slowly dawns on me. My eyebrows pinch together in a mixture of irritation and disappointment and I take a step toward her.
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” she asks, peering at me with worry etched into every feature on her face.
“Fear a name,” I state, and her head rears back, eyebrows pinching as she frowns at me.
“I’m sorry?”
“If you’re going to be a raging bitch, then be a raging bitch. Don’t hide your true colors out of fear. That’s more distasteful than my dirty boots on your untouched floor.”
She visibly gulps, shaking her head at me slightly. “You say that like your father isn’t—”
“He isn’t my father,” I interrupt, my bite snappier than I expected or intended, but I don’t take it back.
Her eyebrows knit together even tighter as she gapes at me. “But—”
I wave my hand, interrupting her as I make myself clear. “I don’t care what the paperwork may say, it doesn’t mean anything. How about, I won’t mention your attitude if you only refer to him as Abel. Agreed?” My heart pounds in my chest, but she slowly nods her head and relief floods my veins.
“Agreed.”
For the first time since stepping through the door, I smile. “Perfect. Now, I really don’t want to be here, but when my alternative was surviving another night in Shadowmoor, I decided to take my chances. Can we skip to the part where you help me out because I’ve been traveling for what feels like forever and I need a nap and a shower. I’m not fussy about the order.”
“S-shadowmoor?” she stutters, hand clutching the collar of her silk shirt as horror darkens her eyes. “Why on earth—”
“It doesn’t matter,” I interrupt, again, but she’s trying to delve into things that really don’t hold any significance right now. “The past is the past unless you decide to make it the present, and I’m really not loving that idea.”Brother and Papa included.Just because they’re both suddenly present in my world, doesn’t mean I have to act like they exist in it. Far from it.
I watch as the woman’s shoulders slowly relax back, the tension drifting from her as her eyes continue to pierce mine. “Do you always have such words of wisdom?”
A laugh passes my lips before I can stop it. “If you were raised in the depths of Hell, you’d have some mantras to live by as well.”
I’m almost certain a sad smile touches the corner of her mouth but it’s gone before I can confirm or deny it. She snaps her fingers and a manilla folder appears on the desk. “You’re going to need this,” she says, pointing down at it, and I move closer to take a look.
It’s no surprise that it’s a golden folder with my name cursively written in white ink. It matches the rest of this place. Everything is white or gold, and spotless. Whereas everything back home was black, gray, and tarnished. The contrast is unreal.
I run my finger over my name on the folder, the intricate calligraphy making me warm inside, as she continues to speak. “Everything you need will be found in that folder.” I want to ask whateverythingentails, but it’s as if she senses my thoughts and expands. “The details on where you will need to go to have your uniform fitted are in there as well as a list of the items you need. While you’re there, you may want to take the list of books you’ll need for this semester as the stores are nearby in the on-site facility.” She barely comes up for air as she rattles everything off, leaving me to nod at her. “There is also your schedule and all extracurricular activities that may be suitable for your powers.” I freeze, almost interrupting her again, but I decide mentioning I’m a Void really isn’t going to get this over with any quicker. “You’ll also find your assigned housing on the map, along with your key. Your housemates will be in classes at the moment, but that will work out well for you as you’ll only be given today as grace to gather what you need before everything starts tomorrow.”
When I’m certain she’s finished, I quirk my brow, collecting the folder as I wave it slightly. “Is there anythingnotin the folder?” I ask, smirking, since it seems the entirety of my new life is all contained in here, but she doesn’t grin back. If anything, her face drops further and her eyes look grim.
“How to survive this place.”
I wasn’t expecting an honest answer, or one so dark, but I force the smile to remain on my lips as I nod. “Perfect. Thank you…” My words trail off as I realize I don’t know her name.
