2. Ava
CHAPTER 2
AVA
The drive to Corvus College isn’t a quick one. I doze off at some point, and when I wake up, the afternoon sun is high in the sky as we travel a winding road through upstate New York, the towering trees casting imposing shadows over our path.
I’d heard this place was secluded, but as I watch the world go by from my window, the true remoteness of it sinks in. We’re seemingly in the middle of nowhere– I haven’t seen a town or another person or even another car for miles. The change of scenery is jarring after spending my entire life surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city.
I suppose most would find the quiet serenity of this place peaceful, but I find it unnerving.
“We’re here, Miss,” Ivan says as he turns off the main road, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror for the briefest moment. Gideon’s driver is a man of very few words; I can count on my hands how many we’ve exchanged this entire trip. His gaze returns to the windshield as he pulls up to a tall iron gate, slowing to a stop.
I shift my weight, sitting up a little straighter as I take in my surroundings. A huge stone wall cuts through the forest on either side of the gate, spanning as far as the eye can see. The gate itself is a towering black monstrosity of twisted metal with insignia in the center– CC, for Corvus College, and a crow perched atop a skull.
Not ominous at all.
There’s a small guard house beside the gate, two men dressed in black hovering in the doorway, watching intently as we pull up. My breathing stalls when I clock the guns strapped to their waists. This place is supposed to be a college, but the entrance makes it feel more like a fortress.
Ivan rolls down his window and one of the guards approaches, leaning down to peer inside the car. His assessing gaze slides to me in the back seat, lingering for a beat before returning to Ivan. “Name?”
“Ava Morrow,” Ivan provides.
The guard jerks a nod. “We’ve been expecting you. Drop her off at the main building, then go east and follow the signs to Sutton Hall. Security will meet you there to take her luggage into the dormitory.”
Ivan nods back and the guard steps away, the gates in front of us slowly opening with a metallic groan.
My pulse picks up speed as we drive through.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this . I envisioned a picturesque landscape of rolling, grassy hills and smiling co-eds, not a locked gate with armed guards. My skin prickles, goosebumps pebbling up on my arms as we start driving again. There’s nothing but forest on either side of us, the road winding through the tall trees with no end in sight.
It has to be at least a mile before the driveway finally bottoms out in a circle drive before an imposing stone building. It looks like a damn castle, the massive four-story structure weathered with age and partially obscured by ivy crawling up the sides. The logo from the front gate is carved into the stone above the large front doors, accompanied by some barely legible words that look to be written in Latin. Ivan swings the car around the circle drive to pull up to the front of the building, shifting the gear into park and glancing back at me.
He doesn’t say anything– ever the strong, silent type– but he does give me a little nod of encouragement as I grip onto the door handle so hard that my knuckles turn white.
I guess this is it.
“Thanks, Ivan,” I say as I push the door open, swinging my legs out and rising to stand. I glance up at the gothic architecture of the structure before me as I nudge the car door closed, lifting a hand to my brow to shade my eyes from the harsh afternoon sunlight.
“Hi!” a red-haired girl chirps as she rushes over with a friendly smile. “You must be Ava.”
I blink back at her, nodding. “That’s me.”
“Come on,” she urges, spinning on a heel and waving for me to follow her toward the building. “I’ve gotta get to class, but I’ll take you up to the Registrar’s office so you can get your schedule first.”
Sensing her urgency, I quickly catch up, falling into step with her as she pushes open one of the double doors and leads the way inside.
“They told me you’d be here an hour ago, so I was going to give you the grand tour,” she says breathlessly, her words echoing in the stone foyer as she ushers me toward the grand staircase in the center. I follow closely as she begins to ascend, trying my best to keep up with her brisk pace.
“But since you’re late, the Registrar’s office will have to find someone else to show you around,” she continues. “Honestly, if it were any other day, I’d just skip this class, but I heard we’re having a pop quiz, and Professor Browning doesn’t let you make them up if you miss them.” She comes to an abrupt halt at the top of the stairs, swinging around and sticking out a hand toward me. “I’m Hailey, by the way. A sophomore, like you.”
I take her hand, shaking it politely. “Nice to meet you.”
She spins back around just as fast, gesturing for me to follow her down an adjacent hallway. “The Registrar’s office is right through here,” Hailey states, pushing a door open and sticking out an arm to hold it for me. “They’ll get you your schedule and dorm assignment. I’m in room two-twelve, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me.” She flashes me another bright smile. “Gotta run.”
“Yeah, go ahead,” I stammer. “Thanks for…” I trail off as she rushes away down the hall and out of earshot, her red curls bouncing with every step.
I snap my mouth closed, swallowing back my anxiety as I turn to step through the doorway of the Registrar’s office. I immediately collide with something hard, a grunt escaping my lips upon impact and sending me stumbling back in a daze. I start to tip backwards when a pair of strong hands suddenly grips onto my forearm, yanking me upright.
“Whoa, you alright?” a smooth, masculine voice asks.
I blink up at the helpful stranger, my heart stuttering in my chest when I meet his eyes. They’re light, but not quite blue– more of a pale gray, like morning fog. Even through the lenses of his black framed glasses, his eyes are captivating, drawing me in like a siren’s song.
“You okay?” he asks again, and that’s when I realize I’m still staring at him like a creep with my mouth hanging open.
“Fine,” I choke, my face flushing hot as I take a step backwards and try to recover my composure.
It’s an impossible feat when I take full stock of the man standing in front of me.
There’s attractive, then there’s this guy, who’s in a damn league of his own. Towering over me at more than six feet tall, the man is impossibly gorgeous, bulked up with hard-earned muscle and sculpted like a god. His suntanned skin practically glows, and his blonde hair, square jaw, and roguish grin send a wave of butterflies scattering in my belly as I stand there gawking at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
He tilts his head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. His lower lip is fuller than the upper one, and my eyes trace the curve of his cupid’s bow as he asks, “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I pant, suddenly struggling to breathe. I reach up to tuck my hair behind my ears– a nervous habit – then down to smooth the hem of my plaid skirt– another nervous habit .
The guy narrows his eyes as he assesses me, his heated gaze raking down my form before climbing back up to meet my own. “I haven’t seen you around here before,” he drawls.
“I’m a transfer,” I blurt, heat crawling up my neck. “I’m actually picking up my schedule. I just got here.”
Those mesmerizing lips pull into a grin. “Really?” he asks slowly, giving me another long, predatory once-over that makes my skin crawl and my cheeks heat. “Need somebody to show you around?”
“I, uh…” I stammer, glancing behind him toward the Registrar’s desk.
Bad idea.
For one, this guy is so far out of my league that we’re not even playing the same sport.
And for two, there’s a reason I’m still a virgin at nineteen. My mom has lived her entire life serving the whims of men, and I refuse to fall into that same trap. Attractive, smooth-talking guys like this one are nothing but trouble, and while that easy grin and cocky swagger may draw most women in easily, it won’t distract me from my goals. I want to live my life for me ; be successful in my own right.
I’m here to get an education and make something of myself, not go all googly-eyed over some hot jock.
My eyes flicker back to meet his disarming stare, and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to force the words of refusal past my lips. “I think I can figure it out on my own,” I bite out. “Thanks anyways.”
If he’s offended by my dismissal, he doesn’t let on. He just keeps staring at me, raking that gray-eyed gaze over my body until I’m practically squirming.
“Aw, c’mon,” he drawls, moving beside me and slinging a thick, muscular arm over my shoulders. The heat of it immediately leeches into my bones, the combination of the scent of his cologne and the proximity of his body making my knees buckle.
He must not notice, because he doesn’t miss a beat as he steers me toward the Registrar’s desk, grinning down at me with something deliciously wicked glimmering in his expression. “I insist.”