Novels by Creatively All

"They have her?" I whispered. The word felt like a physical blow.My little sister, Joy, was only nine. She was supposed to be at home, tucked under the covers while Mum worked the late shift at the Gala."I came here to work the extra hours for your books," Mum sobbed, her hands shaking as she gripped my arms. "A man in a suit came to the kitchen. He showed me a video of Joy. She’s in a cold room, Loveth. He said if I didn't help hide the knife in your wrap, they would hurt her."The betrayal stung worse than any physical wound. Victoria hadn't just used Maxwell or the Professor. She had used my own mother to frame me."Where is she?" I asked, my voice turning into ice."The old boiler room," Mum pointed toward the stairs. "But the guards are everywhere. Loveth, please, just run! If you stay, they will kill you both!""I’m not leaving her," I said.I looked at the ballroom doors. I could hear Victoria’s voice over the speakers, spinning her lies, making the world believe I was a murd

My knees buckled. I stared at Professor Alden’s body. Just twenty minutes ago, he was looking at me with disappointment. Now, his eyes were open and empty, staring at nothing."No," I whispered. "He was alive. He was just in the library.""Victoria is fast," Cassian said, his voice cold. He didn’t lower the gun. "She knew the Professor wouldn’t stay quiet once he realized Maxwell wasn’t the only one in that vault. He saw her, Loveth. And now, he’s the reason you’re going to spend the rest of your life in a cage."I looked at the knife. My scholarship letter was the piece of paper that represented my mother’s dreams and my sweat was wrapped around the handle. It was soaked in dark, thick red."You're working with her," Maxwell growled. He stepped in front of me, shielding me from Cassian’s aim. "You’ve always wanted my spot, Cassian. But murder? That’s low, even for a Vale.""I’m not working with her," Cassian spat. "I’m winning. Victoria kills the witness, you take the fall, and I bec

Dust choked the air. The explosion behind us had sealed the exit. We were trapped in the belly of St. Jude’s Academy, and the only way out was forward into the dark.I stared at the word on the wall. Sacrifice."My name," I whispered, my finger trembling as I touched the fresh red ink. "How did she get my name on this wall? She was just at a party."Maxwell didn’t answer. He was staring at the rubble behind us. His "Golden Boy" mask was completely gone now. He looked hunted. He looked human."Victoria doesn’t go to parties to dance, Loveth," he said, his voice echoing off the damp stone. "She goes to watch. She’s been planning this for weeks. She knew you’d be in the library. She knew I’d break tonight.""You still stole it!" I snapped, my fear turning into hot anger. "You risked my life. You risked my mother’s life for a ring!"Maxwell turned on me. He grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging into my skin. "My family is broke, Loveth! The Thorne name is a lie. We owe millions to peo

The air left my lungs. I looked at Maxwell, my jaw dropping. He stood there in his crisp school blazer, looking like a worried angel. But his eyes were like two pieces of flint. He was setting me up."Search her," Maxwell repeated. His voice was steady, but I could hear the hidden threat beneath it.Professor Alden stepped forward. His face was pale. "Loveth? Is this true? Please tell me you didn't do this.""I didn't!" I shouted. My voice cracked. "He’s lying! He was the one in the vault! He’s the one who took it!"Maxwell sighed, a sound of pure pity. "Professor, she’s clearly panicked. She probably thought she could sell the ring and pay for her tuition. It’s a sad situation, really."I wanted to scream. I wanted to lunge at him and scratch that fake look of concern off his face."Check her pockets, Professor," Maxwell urged.Professor Alden reached out. I didn't move. I couldn't move. If they found that note, the one with the picture of my mother, they would know I was connected t

The scholarship was my only way out of Borikiri.Every time I looked at my hands, I saw the blisters from helping Mum fry puff-puff under the hot sun. I saw the way her back bent a little lower every year. St. Jude’s Academy was supposed to be my ticket to a life where we didn’t have to worry about the next meal or the landlord’s heavy knocks.That was why I was in the library at 11:00 p.m. while the other students were at a secret party in the dorms."Just ten more pages," I whispered to myself.The ancient library was silent, smelling of old paper and expensive wax. I needed this A+. If my grades slipped even an inch, the board would snatch my scholarship away and hand it to some rich kid who didn't even know how to spell 'hard work.'A heavy thud echoed from the back of the room.My heart jumped. I wasn't supposed to be here this late. If the headmaster caught me, I was dead. I quickly blew out my small reading lamp and ducked behind a shelf of thick history books.Clink. Clink.Th