CHAPTER 4 — TARGET

Ayla POV

I make it to lunch without any further incident. That should have told me something.

Good mornings in this academy don't come for free. They always collect payment in the afternoon.

I am carrying my tray to the far end of the hall, heading to the empty table at the corner when someone slams into my shoulder from behind.

My tray tilts and the food slides. 

The full bowl of soup comes crashing down on my body in one smooth, and devastating move.

The hall erupts in laughter immediately. 

I'm not supposed to be embarrassed by these things anymore, but it still hurts. 

"Oh no." Tara whines behind me, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Ayla, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."

That the usual lie to make it sting more. Because she saw me and she chose to hit me just to make a point.

I stand completely still for one second, the soup soaking through my shirt. The smell is all over me. Students come forward and take pictures of me in that horrible state. 

‘They just want something to laugh about later… Don't react. Don't give them anything.’ I say, my heart rising and falling rapidly. 

I set the empty tray down and reach for the nearest paper napkins. I start cleaning without looking up.

"She's not even going to say anything," someone says.

"Does she ever?"

"That's so sad."

More laughter follows. 

I allow it to all fizzle out behind me and continue to clean my dress, keeping my hands steady and my face blank. 

This isn't the first time. All I need to do is —

"Here." A napkin appears in my peripheral vision. I look up.

A boy from the upper year is stretching it towards me.

“It's from someone,” he says and scurry out. I have no idea who. I don't even know his name. 

I collect the box of napkins, not missing the way he looks at me with an uncomfortable expression and pity. 

"Thank you."

He is nowhere to be found. I sigh and clean some more then pick my bag and walk.

There is no more meal for me, so I take my exit. I walk fast to avoid preying eyes who would use any opportunity to make fun of me and directly into someone. 

Something hot splashes across my arm, shoulder and my already ruined shirt.

I stumble back. "I'm sorry — I'm so sorry, I wasn't—"

I look up.

Caius Voss looks down at his now-empty coffee cup. Then at me.

My heart stops completely.

"I'm sorry," I say again, bowing down repeatedly. "I'll… I can pay for another one, I—"

"It's just coffee." He replies. His voice flat. Not angry. Not warm. Just spitting facts. "I can get another coffee."

He looks at me properly then, like he's seeing something different now that he's standing so close. His eyes move to the soup stain. Then to my arm. Then back to my face.

He pulls out his phone. “I'm getting you another dress.” He says simply, dialing a number.

"You don't have to—"

He is already doing it anyway. He turns slightly away from me.

"I need a dress.” He pause. "Just send it to Dravenmoor Academy in the next ten minutes." Another pause. "I don't care what it costs. Send it."

He hangs up.

"That’s not necessary," I say. "I have spare clothes. I'm fine."

"I'll put the dress in your locker."

I stare at him. "How do you know where—"

He walks away. Without explanation and without turning back. Leaving me standing in the corridor covered in soup and coffee. What just happened?

---

By the time I get to the locker, the dress is hanging on the handle of my locker.

A clean white suitcase with the brand name boldly written at the front of the bag. And it's not just any brand. It's a brand that even someone like Nova would work for a lifetime before she can afford it. A small card is attached to the handle.

I reach for it, but before my fingers can close around it a hand appears from my left and snatches it.

Jade. Nova's closest friend holds it up and reads it out loud before I can do anything.

"Replacement for your ruined dress. C.V."

The corridor goes silent for exactly one second.

Then erupts.

"C.V. As in Caius Voss?"

"He bought her a dress?"

"Why would he buy her a dress"

"Did she do something? Did she…"

"I bumped into him and he spilled his coffee." I say out loud for them all to hear. I can't have rumors circulating, especially rumors of what I didn't do. "It was an accident and he replaced my dress. That's all."

Nobody is listening.

The whispers are already getting faster than I can handle. Students glance in my direction and nudge towards me with the excitement of a new story to tell.

I take the bag from my locker hook and snatch the card from Jade's hand without asking. My legs move. 

At the end of the corridor the three of them are coming around the corner. Caius. Zane. Ryker. Moving the way they always move — like the whole building belongs to them, commanding respect just by their presence. 

They walk past the gathered students, past the whispers, then past me.

None of them says a word. None of them looks back. Once they're gone, the whispers get louder and I'm left defenceless.

***

Nova pounds towards me in exactly seven minutes, approaching with a kind of fury that I have never seen before. 

I know it's her before I even hear her because the hallway goes quiet whenever Nova is angry. 

She grabs me on my shoulder and spins me to face her before I can turn on my own. Next thing, the back of her palm comes down on my head with a heavy weight — directly on the wound. 

My vision whites out at the edges. My knees hit the floor before I can stop myself. 

The wound opens immediately, blood gushing out of it. Warm and sticky.

"So that is what you do now? Receive clothes from Caius Voss. How dare you!” She screams. "You think that was cute? You think? Let me show you what is cute."

She picks me up by my shirt and drags me along the hall. Past the group of students who were once whispering and giggling about the dress. 

Now they don't dare to make a sound. 

“Please,” I plead. “It was a mistake.” 

She doesn't care. 

“Put on this dress” she commands. “PUT. IT. ON.”

“he… here?” 

I am right in the middle of the hall. Students are gathered at every corner straining to see what would happen next. 

I have never been more humiliated in my life. 

Slowly, I take off the stained dress I am putting on and it drops to a pulp at my feet. 

I didn't even get the chance to say thank you for the dress, let alone return it. I put it on and Nova brings out a scissor and shreds it to pieces. 

Tears roll from my eyes as the simple but stunning dress is reduced to rags by my own sister. 

“You will remain like this for the rest of the day. And you will learn to stay away from what belongs to me. Do you understand?”

I nod slowly, unable to stop the tears. 

“Good. Now follow me.” 

The wound in my head is still throbbing. I feel dizzy and there are still white patches in my vision. But I know better than to hesitate.

She leads me to the gym and kicks me in. “Drest, she needs a

training session."

Drest looks at me. “Okay.” He says. His expression doesn't change.

"Good. Make sure she suffers." Nova's smile holds. 

“Don't forget your place.”