Chapter 14
Brigid
I notice the stares before I even cross the threshold.
I keep my eyes fixed ahead as I enter the classroom, refusing to give them the satisfaction of a reaction.
The smell of chalk dust, paper, and something acrid—like sulphur matches—is in the air.
Weird brass instruments and bubbling vials line shelves along the side walls, glowing with an otherworldly illumination that makes the hair on my arms stand up. I scan the rows of seats, searching for an empty one at the back.
I beeline for an open spot, second row from the last.
As I slide into the seat, my knife presses reassuringly against my hip through the pocket of my sweater. A habit from my old life that I can't seem to shake, even in this magical place where a blade seems woefully inadequate protection.
A tall man, stocky and brutish, with a shaved head and a long beard down to the middle of his chest, walks in and takes his place at the front.
The man clears his throat, silencing the remaining chatter. "Welcome, students, to your first preparatory class for the Harrowing. I am Professor Azaeron.”
I've heard whispers about the Harrowing since arriving at Grimstone, but no one seems willing to discuss it openly, not that I’ve had a chance to talk to many others yet.
"For those of you who are unaware, this semester will be spent preparing you for your initiation test.” The professor continues, his voice grave, "The Harrowing is not merely an exam. It is a test of survival that separates the wheat from the chaff."
My stomach churns at the professor’s words.
What have I gotten myself into?
A boy two seats over calls out. "More like separates the living from the dead."
I feel the color drain from my face.
Professor Azaeron continues talking about the dangers we'll encounter during the test. I should be paying attention, but my mind races, trying to wrap my head around what I've walked into.
This isn't just a school—it's a goddam death trap.
As the gravity of the situation sinks in, I think I've made a terrible mistake coming here. But then I remember I didn’t really have much of a choice.
I shudder to think about what Lochan would have done if I'd resisted. He probably would have knocked me out and carried me off over his shoulder like a caveman.
The professor’s voice cuts through my spiral of anxiety. "The Harrowing consists of three components: strength, magic, and reasoning. You will be tested to your absolute limits in each area. My task is to help you prepare to the best of your abilities so that you pass the test and continue on at the academy.”
A heavy silence falls over the room. I can feel the stress radiating from the other students.
"Make no mistake," he says, his eyes scanning the room, "some have died attempting the Harrowing. It is not for the faint of heart."
Suddenly, I feel a presence beside me.
Someone slides into the empty seat, their movement stealthy and deliberate. I turn my head slightly, trying not to draw attention to myself.
It’s him.
The guy who was staring at me in the dining hall on my first night. I didn’t imagine it. Up close, his features are even more striking—all sharp angles and obsidian black eyes that seem to look right through me. He’s dressed entirely in black again, and I notice tattoos on his knuckles and backs of his hands, symbols I don’t recognize.
Brigid, right?"
I suppress a shiver at the sound of his voice. It’s disturbing, for reasons I can’t explain. And how does he know my name?
"I'm Marius," he continues, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I hear you've got some— interesting abilities."
Something stirs within me, responding to his presence. I can feel the shadow magic, I’m sure that’s what it is. It’s the same sensation that occurred after I was attacked, and it feels almost like something shifting below my skin, fluid like silk.
I don't turn to look at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He chuckles softly. “Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Marius turns his attention back to the teacher.
Being in Grimstone makes me feel like I've just stepped onto a chessboard where I don't know the rules - or who's really moving the pieces.
"Pair up, everyone. You'll be working with your partner for the remainder of the semester," Professor Azaeron says.
Great. Just what I need. Forced socialization.
A soft tap on my shoulder takes me by surprise. I turn to see a girl with feather-like hair and big eyes behind oversize glasses.
"Hi," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm Eira. Want to partner up?"
Relief washes over me.
Finally, someone who doesn't look at me like I'm radioactive.
"Yeah, sure. I'm Brigid."
As we move our chairs closer, I see Marius watching us from where he’s taken a new seat next to a girl on the other side of the room. His eyes are calculating. It makes my skin crawl.
"So, what's his deal?" I ask Eira, nodding towards Marius.
Eira's eyes widen. "Marius? Oh, stay far away. He's crazy."
"Crazy how?"
She lowers her voice. "Let's just say he doesn't play well with others. Or by any rules. At all."
Before I can press for more details a shrill voice cuts through the classroom chatter.
"Well, well. If it isn't the charity case."
I look up to see Laria, the blonde bitch from the dining hall, sneering down at me. Her gaze rakes over my clothes with disdain.
"I know humans can be revolting, but did you raid a dumpster for this signature look?"
The old Brigid would have shrunk away, but I'm done being a punching bag.
I stand up slowly, meeting her venomous stare. "At least I don't have to compensate for my lack of personality by being an asshole."
Laria's face contorts. Alarmingly, I now see a set of fangs extending from her otherwise perfectly straight teeth.
Riiiight . Vampire.
Pissing her off might not have been the best of ideas.
Before I can think about what to do next, I feel the shadows. They start to vibrate and hum along my arms, like they’re waiting for me let them loose. My heart speeds up. It feels like if they get out I won’t be able to control them. Like when Sean and Gary attacked me in the woods.
I wasn’t doing any of that, it was all the shadows.
Laria mistakes my reaction as fear of her, which admittedly she’s not wrong— I’m not all that eager to go toe to toe with a bitchy vampire. She takes a threatening step towards me, icy cold fingers grabbing my wrist and yanking me closer.
“Ms. Delacorte," the professor's stern voice interrupts. "There are better ways to spend your time here."
She drops my wrist. “Watch your back,” she says, her lips curled in a snarl that mars her lovely features.
As Laria stalks away, I get a glimpse of Marius. He's watching me with interest.
I shudder, unsettled by Laria and by Marius's predacious gaze. Something about him makes me feel off balance, yet I can't look away. His dark eyes seem to pull me in, like black holes threatening to swallow me whole.
A prickling sensation at the back of my neck breaks the spell.
I glance back behind me, catching sight of Lochan at the top of the stairs. His eyes bore into me, narrowed with suspicion.
Great . Another guy who looks like he wants to eat me alive, just not in the fun way.
I force myself to look away, focusing on Professor Azaeron as he lectures about something called Ghost Frost. It’s all like a foreign language to me, I can’t understand any of it. But the hairs on my arms stand on end. I can feel Lochan’s hostility from here.
Loud whispering nearby catches my attention. "Did you hear? They’re saying someone actually saw him."
I turn to see two students behind me, heads bent close together.
"Who?" the other asks.
"The Raven King," comes the reply, voice hushed.
"Professor," the one closest to me says, "do you know anything about the Raven King rumors going around?"
The room falls silent. Even the dust motes seem to freeze in the air.
Professor Azaeron's face tightens. "Gossip and idle chatter," he says. “Indulging in either will not save you in the Harrowing.” There's an edge to his voice.
I turn to Eira. "Who's the Raven King?"
Eira's eyes widen, her face paling slightly. She glances around before answering, "He's... not someone we talk about, really." She hesitates, then continues, speaking quickly and so low I can barely hear her. "Long ago, the Raven King led a rebellion, and it started the Shadow War. He wanted to spread his darkness everywhere."
I shiver at hearing the words. Shadow War . "What do you mean?"
“If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of the Fae King and the formation of the Council, the Raven King and his rebels would have killed everyone,” Eira explains, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her notebook. “After the war the Council made sure shadow magic was gone for good, and anyone who supported the Raven King. For the good of the realm.”
I don’t really understand what she’s just told me, but my pulse races. Shadow magic . Like mine. Ravens .
"What happened to him?" I ask, more calmly than I feel.
"A group of our bravest warriors sacrificed themselves, sending him into the void,” Eira says. "They vanquished him. At least, that's what the stories say. I wasn’t around back then. A lot of the Fae remember it, though.”
None of this sounds good.
Vanquishing ?
Am I somehow connected to that world?
I’m so confused, there more questions every minute I’m here, and never any answers. I have no idea what I even am, and no one who might know will tell me.
The bell rings, startling me out of my thoughts. Students start getting up to leave around me, but I'm frozen in place.
"You okay?" Eira asks, concern evident in her voice.
I nod mechanically, not trusting myself to speak. As I gather my composure, my eyes search the room for Marius. His intensity unsettled me earlier, but now I find myself wondering if he knows something.
But he's gone, vanished just like the other day in the dining hall.
I trudge back to my room, my mind a whirlwind of dark thoughts. The tricksy corridors of Grimstone try to play their games but I’ve finally memorized the way back.
I think.
Relieved to find the right hallway and the right door, I go inside—then I freeze. My bed is covered in bags and boxes, some tied with ribbon, all piled high like Christmas morning.
"What the hell?" I approach cautiously.
I half expect the packages to explode—nothing would surprise me here. But as I poke at the nearest bag, it just crinkles innocently.
Curiosity gets the better of me. I open the first box, revealing a rectangle of fabric that when I hold it up becomes a silky black dress that probably costs more than everything I own combined.
I sigh, running my fingers over the fabric.
Box after box, bag after bag - jeans, lacy lingerie, boots with spike heels that could kill a man, cashmere sweaters, coats that feel light as clouds. It's a whole new wardrobe, and a fancy one at that.
I hold up a buttery-soft black leather jacket, admiring how the leather gleams in the light. “Damn." I toss it to one side and pick up a pale pink silk bra and panty set, trimmed with white lace. Everything is my size, and nicer than anything I’ve ever had.
My eyes narrow as I survey the bounty. "Alright, what's the catch?" I demand of the empty room. "Nobody gives away stuff like this for free."
Silence answers me, broken only by the rustle of tissue paper as I lower the jacket.
I feel the tiniest, tiniest tinge of smug satisfaction as I think about Laria and walking into the next class wearing new clothes.
“Thank you,” I whisper to the walls.