Semua Bab Reckless Royals of Nocturne Prep: Bab 31 - Bab 40

RAEI asked three different people for directions to the prep room before I finally found it. Each one looked at me like I'd grown a second head, but they all said the same thing I already knew from my handbook: most people stayed there to refresh and talk before dinner. The last girl, a sophomore with perfectly straightened hair, actually wrinkled her nose when she spoke to me.The prep room was exactly what I'd expected from a place like Nocturne. The entirety of it was polished marble and gleaming mirrors, with clusters of girls touching up their makeup and adjusting their uniforms. The chatter died when I walked in, replaced by the kind of pointed silence that felt heavier than any noise.I found an empty corner and tried to look busy, fidgeting with my fingers while pretending to check my appearance in one of the smaller mirrors. The staring was immediate and obvious. Girls kept glancing at me through their reflections, whispering behind their hands. I caught fragments of convers

CONRADThe laundry room in the basement smelled like detergent and fabric softener. I fed Rae's stained uniform into one of the washing machines, watching the brown tea stains disappear under the rushing water. The white shirt would probably never be the same, but at least she'd have something clean to wear tomorrow.I kept thinking about what she'd said upstairs. About how I didn't understand because I was privileged. About how Saraphina didn't kill herself. The way her voice had cracked when she talked about being alone, about just wanting to exist without being hunted.She wasn't entirely wrong. I didn't understand what it was like to be her. But the line would never be black and white. I knew what it was like to be different, to have people look at you like you were something they couldn't quite figure out. Something that didn't fit into their neat little categories. My father was the biggest contributor to that.The machine hummed as it filled with water. I leaned against the wal

RAEI stared at Kieran, my heart still pounding from the vision. The image of him as a child, trapped in that room with his friends, wouldn't leave my mind."How can you do magic though?" he whispered again.I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "I don't know what it is. It just... happens sometimes."Kieran was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. "What triggers it? When did it start?""I was young." I dropped my hands to my lap. "Maybe six or seven. I touched something that belonged to my stepmother and suddenly I could somehow see into her. Her memories. It terrified me.""But it kept happening?"I nodded. "Random things would trigger it. A doorknob, a piece of jewelry, sometimes just touching someone's skin. I learned to be careful about what I touched. It is how I saw Saraphina’s murder though. I touched the railings of the balcony and… and…"Kieran stood abruptly and walked to the window. He pushed it open and stepped out on

RAELooking back at me were Jessica and three other girls I didn't recognize. Their faces were painted with cruel smiles in the dim hallway light. Jessica stepped inside my room like she owned the place.I scrambled back against my headboard. "I'm not looking for trouble.""And neither are we," Jessica said, her voice sickeningly sweet. She gestured to the other girls. "We welcome new girls like this. It's tradition."My heart hammered against my ribs. "I'll scream."Jessica tilted her head, pretending to consider this. "Who will come to your rescue? No one here really likes you if we're being frank." She shrugged. "No one will come to your aid, but for good measure..."She whispered something under her breath, words in a language I didn't understand. The sound seemed to wrap around my throat like invisible fingers.I opened my mouth to scream. Nothing came out. Not even air.I clawed at my throat, panic flooding my system. My vocal cords felt frozen, useless."Much better," Jessica s

RAEI woke up feeling like someone had stuffed cotton in my head and replaced my bones with lead. Everything felt heavy and wrong. The mattress beneath me was too firm, the sheets smelled different, and there was a strange weight to the air that made my skin prickle.I blinked slowly, trying to focus on my surroundings. This wasn't my dorm room. The walls were painted a deep charcoal gray instead of the institutional beige I'd grown used to. There were weights in one corner, a desk cluttered with textbooks, and clothes tossed over a chair that definitely belonged to a guy.My heart started racing. I sat up quickly and immediately regretted it when the room spun around me. I grabbed the edge of the bed to steady myself and looked down at what I was wearing.My torn pajama bottoms and bra. Still clothed, thank goddess. But that should have made me feel better and it didn't. Because now I was remembering why my clothes were torn in the first place.Jessica. Sophie. The attack in my room.