The Devil's Heir at Blackwell Academy

t just open; they hissed, a hydraulic sigh

thrift-store backpack. Behind me lay the city I knew,the smell of exhaust, the rhyt

ed hedges. Students moved in groups, draped in the school's si

d by the easy grace that comes from a li

e straightened my collar for the fifth time. Her hands had smelled like the expensive floral perfume Richard had bo

ay your tuition out of pity

of nowhere to rescue us from a two-bedroom apartment that leaked whenever it rained.

path. Every crunch under my boots felt too loud, like

s at the library working for. Now that I was here, the air fel

ted floor polish and the subtle, metallic tang of money.

ith the low, rhythmic chatter of re

eir laptops already open and glowing. Then, I saw it...an empty desk by the

lms, and pulled out my notebook. I was just beginn

cuse

Her blonde hair was a liquid sheet of gold, and she was mid-shrug as she pulled on a c

, my voice stead

in Edmund

ed. "Ed

from annoyance to genuine disbelief,

nd Ha

host,a name Richard mentioned in passing, a son who was always a

n it," I said, leaning b

started, her face flushin

a problem,

ilver hair and glasses that seemed to magnify her

Peterson," Jessica said, point

s. Peterson's ey

you

arter. I

is perfectly fine. Edmund

saw the finality in the teacher's expression, and retreated to

back of my neck prickled. I could fee

n began to speak about the summer reading, but the moment

et; it pressurized. Everyone

arcoal school blazer with an effortless, bored arrogance.

the class. He walked straight toward me and stop

ice was a low, resonant rumble that s

eyes that were the color of a wi

d. "I've sat here

said, a small, dangerous spark of

he back of the room, quickly si

eaned down slightly, his

d, the word cli

thout looking up from her roster. "There

ove. He stared at me, searching for

hind me and dragged it across the floor with a scre

behind me felt heavy with

its axis. "Let's discuss The Great Gatsby. Jane, since you're new, why

, thinking of the way Richard looked at my m

onjudgmental, but he spends the whole book judging everyone. He's compl

ning against her desk. "And why do you

do," I said, and for a seco

r being led away in handcuffs while the ne

eople while we watch bad things

en, from directly behind me, came a voic

than that," Edmund said. I could

the corruption, but he's drawn to it anyway. Th

look at him. "So you're

ered, leaning forward until we were onl

ay," I snapped back. "Standing by while

the outside," he said

xcuses when you

red mask finally cracking. "You

led when I see

delighted than a teacher should. "Alright! I can s

hammering against my ribs. When the bell finally rang, I scrambled to shove my bo

e Car

standing there, his backpack slung over

hat

ommanding the hallway. "You're goi

at a th

gerous whisper. "This school has rules. Social hiera

y bag and looked him dead

ike cedar and expensive soap, filling my senses. "Or yo

walked past him before he could notice