I frown as I mull over his words, still not quite getting what the big deal is. “Okay… but why does that matter?”
He simply raises his eyebrow in response. “Because my father is the supreme overlord of this place, so that means I have to be on top of everything, and, unfortunately, that means you guys have to be as well. If I can’t keep my own team on track, how am I meant to take over one day?”
“Oh.” I almost feel bad for him. Almost. “So, what you’re trying to say is that because you have to suffer, so do we?” I grin at the glare he shoots my way, but the others shrug.
“Kind of. But you have to remember, we’re in the last years of our schooling. These classes determine where we’re going to end up in life, so we have to take them seriously,” he replies, scribbling down a few notes in his book.
“I get that. It was the same at the Dark Academy—except we learned torture and poison.” Rory and Dane rear back, and I almost sigh at how easy it is to get a response from them. “But don’t you think you might be going a little overboard? I mean, it’s our first Saturday together, our first weekend, and you want us to study? How much could we possibly need to know right now?”
Declan finally puts his pen down and looks at me. “I like to be prepared,” he says slowly, as if speaking to a child. “And I want to make sure we get the best grades so that we can get the jobs we want after all of this is said and done. Don’t you?”
I suck on the inside of my cheek as I hold his gaze. What do I want to do when I graduate? I’ve never really thought of it before. I mean, when I die, I’m going to become a primordial god, so I never really thought about what I would do with my mortal life. And then there’s the whole Rostova taking over the world for whatever evil plan he has in mind, thing. The gods only know what’s going to happen then.
What would I do if I didn’t have that to worry about? The plants from the greenhouse come to mind; I would love to be able to spend my life making tonics and brews—or poisons. I grin, but it falters quickly, and I shake my head.
“I’m Dark, remember? The chances of me getting a good job are slim to none. No one from the Light would hire me. And… I don’t know if I want to work for the Dark… Not anymore,” I shrug, uncomfortable with their piercing gazes.
“What do you mean? Wouldn’t they hire you?” Dane asks, and the guys nod.
I sigh as I twirl my pencil around, sifting through my thoughts. “Sure. there would be places in Dark communities I could go to live and work, but what… what if that’s not what I want?”
Looking up, I can read the confusion on their faces as they glance between each other. “I… I don’t know if I fit in with the Dark, you know?” I rake my hand through my hair, tossing the curling, loose waves over my shoulder and look away. “After coming here, I realized I may not be as Dark as I thought. I don’t like causing pain, or inflicting torture—most of the time, anyway.” I huff out a small laugh and look down at the earth beneath me, the life flowing freely from it.
“I just, I don’t know, wish there was a gray zone or something where people who didn’t feel Light or Dark could go. I’m not overly bad, but I’m definitely not a saint.” I glance up and the guys nod their heads. The tension in my chest lessens.
“Serena, by coming here, you’re showing us that there’s more to the Dark than we originally thought. And we seem to coexist pretty well. So, who knows? Maybe, in time, all of the Dark and Light will be able to follow in our footsteps.” Dane grins before turning back to his sheet and tapping on the paper. “But whatever happens, we’re a team, and we stick together.”
Paxton and Rory nod, and so does Declan, surprisingly. “Aw, you guys actually like me,” I sing, trying to shift the uncomfortable weight of guilt from my chest.
“Unfortunately, you’re growing on us—like a wart.” Declan rolls his eyes before getting back to work, motioning for me to do the same. “And besides, just because we’ve been working all day doesn’t mean we don’t have plans tonight.”
I sit up, “Plans? What plans?” and the guys share a long grin before turning back to me.
“It’s the first Saturday of the school year. Do you honestly think there isn’t a party?” Declan’s eyebrows quirk, and I hate the smug grin on his face. “But we have to finish all of this. Then we can go.”
“Aye, aye captain,” I salute him with my pencil, earning a few chuckles from the others before they turn back to their sheets, scrawling down their notes or answers.
As I hurry to complete my own questions, two thoughts continue to niggle at the back of my mind, and I stew on our conversation. If I’m not as dark as I thought, then do I have to go through with Master Rostova’s plans? Or do I tell the guys?
I bite my lip as I peek at them from under my eyelashes, at the group that has slowly come to mean more to me than most people ever have.
They would never forgive me.
I can never tell them.
This sucks.
We step into an open clearing—ironically, the same one I cursed a few students in only a week before, but it’s been adequately done up to host a party.
