Rule two: Beds must be made and rooms must be tidy at all times.
Rule three: Always be presentable.Not based on my current state.
Rule four: Take pride in your institute.
Rule five: Respect everyone in The Vale.
Rule six: Know your place in the hierarchy of the institutes.
Rule seven: Do not use your magical abilities on another student or staff, whether intended for harm or otherwise.
Rule eight: Strive to excel.
Rule nine: Do not steal.
Rule ten: Do not enter the institutes you are not assigned to.
Running my hands through the packet, I pause when I feel something firm between the sheets. Flipping through them, I pull out a piece of paper with a card stuck to it.
Name: Elodie Blackwell.
Address: twenty-seven sixteen Cherry Blossom Lane, Lot two-one-three.
Account balance: Twenty-five thousand dollars.
My eyes bug out of my head as I gulp in a breath. My fingers tremble. “Twenty-five thousand dollars,” I breathe. “How?” I rasp, glancing at Ocean, desperate for answers, but she shrugs.
“I don't know. My parents finance mine,” she states, and I scoff.
“My parents wouldn't even spare a quarter for me, not that I imagine they know I’m here,” I offer, my stomach churning.
Ocean cuts across the distance, glancing at thepaperwork beside me. “Well, that definitely says twenty-five thousand dollars,” she confirms, and my blood runs cold.
“The job,” I whisper, my tongue heavy in my mouth.
“What job?”
I gulp. “The reason I'm here.” My emotions threaten to floor me, but if Ocean notices, she pays no mind as she links her arm through mine.
“Exciting. It sounds juicy. Get changed and you can fill me in on the way.”
“So,to clarify, you were with your friend, the guy that brought you back, in a skimpy silver two-piece, winning at poker when it all went to shit?”
“Well, I was the distraction. I wouldn't even know how to deal a card for a game of poker,” I mutter, and she waves me off as we make our way toward The Vale.
“Regardless, that's some gangster shit right there,” she insists, and I shake my head.
“You're insane.”
Her eyes widen as she gapes at me. “Are you serious? That's straight out of the movies.”
“If you say so,” I say with a snicker, and she nods vigorously.
“I do. Hats off, my friend. You're a badass.”
I roll my eyes at her insanity as The Vale comes into view. Taking the pathway down, Ocean links her arm through mine, squeezing tight.
“Luckily for you, I'm determined to give you a proper tour of The Vale. Otherwise, I'd want some other details on your crazy life,” she admits.
