“Right,” she agreed, but something in her tone said otherwise.
The El train rumbled into view, its grating roar almost drowning out the shouts of pedestrians and the honking cars. Glancing back at the store, I saw the girl watching us, a confused look on her face.
As we boarded, the energy of the city enveloped me, a rush of adrenaline and anticipation. The carriage shook as we found our spots, the rhythm of the wheels on the track lulling me back into a trance. Artemis leaned against me, yawning as she stared out the window.
We got out in Evanston, our hometown, and walked towards home where Mom would likely be waiting with dinner on the table. I was hungry, but all I could think about was that girl, and what Artemis had meant by “drawn to the symbol” that would “identify them to the members of the Accursed Academy.” Maybe it was nothing, but something told me there was more to come.
If you’re interested in what happens at the new school, turn the page to read the first three chapters of the Ravenswood series spin-off, the Accursed Academy.
The Accursed Academy: House of Sanguis
Chapter One
I descended the train alone at the Ravenswood platform, my toes screaming with every step. I had spent the entire train ride with my feet up on the seat in front of me, much to the conductor’s dismay. I know it was a dick move, but my feet were killing me, and even the thirty-minute reprieve wasn’t long enough. I’d only worn the narrow-toed, stiletto boots because they were a gift from my friend, Hannah, and she hadn’t seen me in them since she’d given them to me on my twenty-first birthday the month before. I also thought they looked good with the T-shirt I’d bought at the hole-in-the-wall thrift shop near Loyola.
After spending the day in Highland Park shopping with Hannah—well, she was shopping, and I was just following her around town—I wasn’t sure how I would hobble home. It would have been nice if I could have stayed with her in her parents’ expensive, north-suburban home, but I needed to get back to my dorm and study. Unlike her, I couldn’t afford to lose my scholarships. Between those and part-time jobs, I was barely staying afloat.
Making my way across the platform, I glanced at my phone. Walking alone after dark in this neighborhood wasn’t the best idea, so I’d reluctantly endured the pinch to my bank account and called for an Uber to be waiting for me when I got off the train. Unfortunately, according to my map on my screen, he was still at least eight minutes away.
I silently cursed myself as I waited, my breath sending up ghosts into the late-October chilled air. I knew I shouldn’t have let Hannah talk me into taking the Metra from Highland Park to Ravenswood. I really couldn’t afford it, and it was still too far from my tiny cell—aka dorm room—in Chicago. I should have just taken the Red Line, which would not have been as nice a ride, but would have dropped me off closer to the residence. And in a much brighter area.
Breathing deeply to calm my nerves, I left the platform, crossed over to the brightest corner of a dimly lit street, and slid into an alcove of a storefront. I kept a death grip on my mobile, checking the location of my ride every few seconds.
It was eerily quiet out, which allowed me to hear the footsteps of more than one person coming around the corner. Heart rabbiting, I glanced at my phone. The little black car moving across the screen indicated it was five minutes away.
Sliding the phone into my pocket, I pressed my back deeper into the brick alcove, hoping it would provide enough cover. Just in case, my fingers curled around the ever-present canister of pepper spray in my other pocket.
Gathering courage, I snuck a quick peek around the corner. At least three large men in hoodies, dressed all in black, were making their way up the sidewalk. Unfortunately, I didn’t move back into my hiding place quickly enough. One of them laughed and called out, “Hey, don’t run off, little mousey. We won’t hurt you.”
“Yeah,” a second voice joined. “We just want to play.”
I jerked out my phone. Shit! The little car was stationary and now ten minutes away. Damning whatever traffic or construction or double-parked asshole was holding him up, I froze underneath the dim light, losing precious moments as my brain tried to decide whether to freeze, flee, or fight. Unfortunately, it stayed on freeze long enough for them to come around the corner.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” one of the guys leered. Two more had arrived to join the original three, making a total of five large men surrounding me, all of them built solid as tanks.
I silently prayed they would just walk on after harassing me a little. Heck, I’d even settle for just a bit of robbery and dirty talk—no harm done, right?
Though heaven help me, was I getting turned on a little by the thought of these big guys talking dirty to me? What in the name of Santa Clause was that about? I bit my lips and held back a moan. I’d heard about people becoming sexually aroused in life-or-death situations. And every instinct screamed that this situation qualified.
I suddenly swayed, my back scraping against the brick behind me. My chest felt funny where the crest design on the t-shirt pressed against it, as if it were heating up. Was it possible they’d sprayed some kind of drug in the air? Or was it the fear making me feel weak and weird?
Despite the unwarranted tingling between my legs and sudden lethargy, I gripped the pepper spray in my pocket and tried to flip the safety switch without them noticing. Maybe if I got the closest two, it would clear a path for me to try to run past the others. Assuming my bloody feet allowed it.
“This a new corner for you? I haven’t seen you here before,” another one said, and the others made humming noises of agreement, their smiles oily and their eyes hooded.
Another sniffed the air then grinned toward my feet, his pointy teeth glinting in the dim light. “A little bloody, aren’t you? Need a foot rub?”
Fine hairs all over my body raised and fear left a coppery taste on my tongue. My mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out. Every horror movie I’d ever seen flashed across my mind. I couldn’t believe that I was the stupid girl in high heels about to die first. This was so not how I’d pictured my life. Or death.
Everything I’d worked so hard for—busting my ass just to get a scholarship to a community college, then killing it there to get another scholarship into a decent university. Working day and night at any job I could, just to keep my head above water and graduate as debt-free as possible. Anything and everything to keep from ever going back to my crazy aunt’s house.
All that hard work. I couldn’t let it be for nothing. I had to at least try. Gripping the pepper spray, I jerked it out of my pocket only to have it smacked away before I could even make one shot.
“Now, that’s not very nice, is it?” said the one who’d somehow known about my bleeding feet, watching the discarded canister rattle down the lonely sidewalk. He tilted his head back toward me, and I could have sworn his eyes glinted red beneath the hoodie.
I squeezed my own eyes shut and resigned myself to whatever fate had in store.
Chapter Two
Somewhere behind me, I heard the sound of footsteps running, but I just squeezed my eyes shut tighter. With my luck, it was either more of their cronies or a rival gang, and I’d just get caught in the crossfire – or worse.
“Back off, Sanguis,” a voice shouted to the side of me. A voice so melodious, deep, and delicious it sent a frisson of awareness across my skin. My eyes flew open. I needed to see the owner of that voice. Unfortunately, my line of sight was cut off by several pounds of menacing males.
“What’s it to you?” one of the large guys snarled, but he took a step back, though still not enough to let me see who’d come to confront them.
“You need to back off,” the new voice said. “You’re breaking the rules.”
“Whose rules? Yours, Xander?” asked one of the original thugs, who was joined by another who said angrily, “We’re not part of your house.”
So, his name was Xander ….
Anger and aggression were a palpable cloud around those guys, and I tried to peer around them without taking their attention from the newcomer.
“Can it, Lachlan. You and your ugly double know the headmaster said no humans tonight.” That wasn’t the same voice as Xander, but it was just as appealing. Enough so that I didn’t catch the “humans” comment right away.
“Fuck off, Kam,” the one they called Lachlan snarled.
