Chapter One
“It’s over, Diana.”
Suddenly, the fuzzy clouds I’d been gazing at while the May morning slipped by came into sharp focus. I blinked and shook my head to clear it before turning to my boyfriend.
Jackson was staring intently at the ground and ripping out clumps of grass. He didn’t look like he’d said anything at all. Had I been on the verge of dozing and dreamed it up?
I twisted to lay on my stomach and perched on my elbows, trying to get my bearings. “Did you say something?” I reached out to stroke his arm, but he pulled away.
“I said the time has come for us to break up.”
My heart stuttered. “Excuse me?” The pitch of my voice sounded high, almost frantic. I cleared my throat. “Are you serious right now?”
Jackson nodded, his eyes still on the ground as he pulled grass out of the dirt like his life depended on it.
Oh no, he didn’t.
I shot up from the blanket we’d been lounging on, and a dozen people turned to stare as I crossed my arms over my chest. No longer were the newly minted second-years enjoying their precious days off before their upcoming summer internships. No, they were all staring at me, probably wondering what was happening.
Well, here’s their answer.
I flipped my thick, blonde hair over my shoulder. “You’rebreaking up withme?” I didn’t bother to lower my voice. If Jackson wanted to be an idiot, I wanted everyone to know it. “You realize that I’m too good for you, not the other way around, right?”
A few people sniggered. Jackson shot them a death glare before finally meeting my eyes. “I can see how most people would think that. You’re the headmistress’ daughter and a shoo-in for the next initiate class, but that doesn’t change my decision.” His tone strengthened as he spoke.
Pain radiated through my heart, but I couldn’t let him see that. I lifted my chin a touch and placed my hands on my hips, asserting dominance just like Mother had taught me. “Idemandto know why.”
Jackson remained sitting on the blanket, although his spine had straightened, projecting that he wasn’t as relaxed as he let on. “I’ll be starting my internship in a few days. It’s in Chicago, and then I go home for the rest of the break. I won’t be returning to Spellcasters until July and I’ll be way too busy to even call during my internship.”
“That’s not a reason to break up! People are apart for two months all the time. It doesn’t mean that they throw away their relationships. Cut the crap and tell me the truth, Jackson.”
His jaw tightened, and he stood so we were face-to-face and squared his broad shoulders. “Fine. I’m breaking up with you because you’ll be attending Spellcasters soon. And you of all people know that Grind and Crucible-year students donotdate initiates.”
My mouth fell open.What the shit?
I stared at him. He’d pulled himself together and was no longer shrinking beneath my gaze, but something still wasn’t right.
Then I spotted it. Jackson’s tongue was drawing a small circle on the inside of his cheek. It was a tic that always gave him away when he lied. One that even Spellcasters hadn’t been able to train out of him yet. His mother had pointed the tell out when we met at the Yule celebration. Since then, I’d noticed the tic many times when Jackson tried to get extensions on deadlines that he’d procrastinated.
I shook my head. “I still don’t believe you. The only reason upperclassmen don’t date initiates is because they aren’t sure they will be around at the end of their Culling-year.” I arched an eyebrow. “At least half of the recent Grind and Crucible students thought the same thing aboutyouwhen you began your first year.”
Jackson winced, and although my heart was slowly breaking, I suspected that I’d just cut him even deeper than he could possibly cut me. After all, Jackson had grown up coddled. Whereas I was the daughter of Headmistress Pricilla Wake—a woman some students referred to as the battle-ax behind her back.
And I wasn’t done yet.
“Are you saying that I, the one student to apply to Spellcasters Spy Academy in the last fifty years who actually grew up at this damn school, won’t make it through the Culling-year? I’ve been training for the entry exams for over a year, Jackson. And when I get into Spellcasters you can bet your ass that I’ll study even harder to ensure that I excel. ” My voice rose with every word. If anyone hadn’t been watching us before, I was sure that they were watching now.
Jackson extended his hand, as if to take mine and console me, but I batted it away. I didn’t want his pity.
“You’re just too weak to tell me how youreallyfeel,” I said. “No surprise there. I’m not even a student yet and I could probably hex the hell out of you.”
Jackson’s chin wobbled, and at that moment I couldn’t understand why I had been so attracted to him. For the first time since he’d shown up at the academy, I saw the handsome rich boy I’d given my heart to as he really was: A weakling who needed way too much help from me to get through his first year of spy school.
He seemed to catch himself, and all the muscles in his body tensed. “There’s no need to be nasty, Diana—”
I stuck my palm in Jackson’s face, unwilling to hear whatever he had to say. Hadn’t he done enough? Judging by my irregular heartbeat, I thought so. Thank goodness I’d taken acting at my fancy human high school. Otherwise, I’d probably be sniveling, and allowing him to pat me on the back. The last thing I wanted was to look weak.
“Actually, Jax, I can see that you’re doing me a favor.” I shook my head and looked him up and down like he was something gross that the cat had dragged in. “You’re right, we don’t belong together. What would people think if I was still with you and earned the head junior spymaster position at the end of my Culling-year? It would be a bit of an embarrassment, wouldn’t it? Students of that caliber deserve partners who can keep up.” I began to turn, but Jackson reached out and grasped my wrist, stopping me.
