Drawing myself up, I stared at him in challenge. “I just moved here. My dad died and they’re the only family I have left. Are you done being a dick now?”
The room fell dead quiet. His shoulders tensed and a flash of fire lit in his eyes, but he said nothing. I smirked. My body thrummed with anticipation.
Say something.
I lived for the thrill of cutting assholes like him down to size. Just as he opened his mouth, the door swung open.
“On your feet,” a rough voice demanded.
A voice that didn’t match the petite, pixie-haired woman marching in. My eyebrows rose as everyone rushed to obey. She carried a large, mahogany club, a shade lighter than her outstretched hand. Her dark eyes swept the room. Sharp. Calculating. They fell on me, her lips pursing.
“Rosa Perez.”
“Rose,” I corrected.
Her eyebrow arched. Someone gasped. For a minute, I feared I was going to find out exactly what the club was for. Her gaze followed mine to the stick and she snorted.
“At ease, pupils.” She waved the club across the room.
Pupils?
I glanced at the others as they sat back in their chairs. I started to do the same when her club landed on my desk with a loud thud, making me jump.
Her eyes met mine. “Not you, Rose.”
“Tell us, Rose. What makes you so special that they let you transfer here so late and ahead of the waiting list as well?”
I ignored the pointed look from Mr. Alpha and the stares from the others.
Shrugging a shoulder, I tried to look as nonchalant as I could. “I guess because I’m an orphan they felt bad for me… and my uncle is on the school board.”
Murmurs erupted.
“That’s enough, pupils.” The professor held a hand up.
“This school is not for the weaker minded. Nor the weaker bodied. GRIMM Academy is grueling. There will be times when you’ll want to quit. Wish you’d never heard of this place. Tell me, Rose, are you a quitter?”
I gaped at her. What was she doing? Trying to intimidate me into dropping out?
I wish I could, lady.
“No. I’m not.” I met her gaze dead on.
She smiled. “Don’t tell me. Show me. You may sit.”
Just like that, she went back to the front of the class and started lecturing as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t passively threatened or possibly tried reverse psychology on me. I wasn’t sure how to take it and I was almost sure, she meant it to be that way. To make me think and be on my guard with her.
One of the students handed out books to everyone. I flipped mine to the page she commanded, not daring to answer any of the questions she asked. I had no idea what they’d been studying, and it was clear, nobody was going to go out of their way to help me catch up.
Snobs. I don’t even want to be at your stupid school.
The next class was a sophomore class that I was able to skip out on with the promise of starting the online course as soon as possible. That left me with some time before lunch. A lunch I’d have to eat alone. There was a depressing thought.
I glanced at my class list. After lunch was a junior class and then my first training class. That was one I actually looked forward to. My body thrummed, remembering the feel of the sword in my hand. Did my mom feel that way too? I glanced down at my pendant and sighed. There was so much I still needed to know about my parents’ history, but I couldn’t muster enough energy or strength to do it. What if I found out things about them that I didn’t want to? That would ruin my memories of them.
Being an orphan, I could handle. Finding out your parents were horrible people—not so easy to swallow.
My thoughts tangled together and the idea of facing the massive cafeteria alone was sounding worse and worse. Maybe I could go in and snag something to go. Was that possible or was there some rule about not taking food out?
Time went faster than I realized and soon I found myself in line in the busy lunchroom, putting in an order to go. Some students smiled and greeted me, but the vast majority ignored me or downright scowled at me.
Either way, I didn’t care.
I wasn’t there to make friends, but with such a heavy class schedule and so many hidden cameras everywhere, how was I supposed to find the time to formulate a plan of escape?
Excusing myself from the social vultures, I took my sub and chips outside, looking for the garden listed on the tablet map. I passed the student dorms and the giant gym, making my way back toward the gatehouse.
An arched trellis covered in vines greeted me as I approached the garden. A cobblestone path led into the lush landscape. I followed it deeper, marveling at the vibrant flowers and plants. A gurgling fountain stood in the distance, the water sparkling in the sunlight. I took a deep breath and released it into the fresh air.
This was exactly what I needed. I cut through the grass, heading for a bench past the fountain.
“Watch out!” a voice startled me.
I froze, unsure of what I was supposed to watch out for.
“Great. You broke it.”
It was the boy from class. The jerkface.
I glanced around, trying to figure out what he was talking about. I didn’t see anything broken.
“Broke what?” I asked.
He gave me an incredulous look. “Ward.”
As if that answered anything. I shrugged it off and took my bag to the bench past him.
He scoffed. “You could at least apologize.”
I turned to him. “For what?”
He gestured to the empty air and green grass. “Breaking my ward.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t see anything.”
He slapped a hand to his forehead. “You don’t see anything? It’s a ward. Wards are invisible by nature. Which GRIMM school did you transfer from?”
My face
