They groaned as I entered and slowly shut behind me. My jaw dropped as I took in the empty expanse in front of me. The interior matched the exterior’s Gothic style.
It radiated wealth from every angle. Marble floors and tall ceilings. Ornate moldings climbed the walls like ivy. It bled with old money. New money.Allmoney.
A massive staircase loomed at the center of the hall, splitting into two sweeping wings as it reached the second floor and repeated with the third. Thick stone columns held up the vaulted ceilings high above me. Shadowy archways stretched down the corridors that disappeared into darkness.
Saint Vale was beautiful but felt almost dead inside.
Water dripped from me as I looked around. I froze when I heard the click of heels against the floor.
My gaze lifted to a woman in a black pantsuit—very Hilary Banks—walking toward me. As she grew closer, I noticed the university’s crest pinned neatly to her blazer.
She stopped in front of me and didn’t smile or frown. Her face remained completely still.
“Hi, I’m Blair.” I awkwardly smiled. “I’m new.” I peered down, noticing a small puddle forming around my black loafers.
“Yes, Blair Dupont,” she said, irritation clear in her tone. “I’m Headmaster Arisono.”
I smiled again. This one just as awkward and strained.
She clutched a folder with the university crest pressed against her chest. “I’ll escort you to your dorm. You’re in a double.”
I dragged my luggage behind me, groaning as we headed toward more stairs. My arms and legs throbbed as I forced myself up the next flight.
“All classes start at seven sharp,” she said as we climbed the steps, handing me a folder and staring at me sternly. “Yourschedule and a campus map are inside. I run this school by thethree strikesrule and have very little tolerance for unruliness. I consider it a headache. A source of wrinkles I won’t risk.”
I nodded, shifting my suitcase to the other hand to hold the folder.
Fortunately for my arms, we stopped on the second floor and turned right. I followed her down a narrow corridor. No harsh overhead lighting here. That was at least a plus for my migraines.
Arisono stopped at a door inscribed withPoenas Dare Hall.
My Latin wasn’t perfect, but I understood enough.
To pay the penalty.
Just lovely. My dorm’s theme was apparently retribution.
Arisono pushed the door open, revealing a quiet hall lined with six doors, evenly spaced along the walls. We passed one before stopping at room 205, and my palms turned clammy.
The door was completely bare.
No posters, pictures, or decorations, like the dorms at my other schools.
I gripped my luggage tight as Arisono knocked.
Seconds passed before the door swung open, brightening the hall. A skinny blond girl stood there, wearing a black satin nightgown and fluffy pink slippers. Her green eyes darted nervously between Arisono and me.
“Headmaster?” she asked, trying to hide her irritation.
“Daphne, this is your new roommate, Blair.” Arisono nudged me forward.
Without another word, she turned and left us.
The smile I gave Daphne felt just as stiff and forced as the ones I’d given Arisono.
Now that Arisono was gone, Daphne looked less annoyed and waved me inside. I rolled my suitcase behind me and shut the door. The room smelled strongly of sage, as if we’d interrupted an exorcism.
I wrinkled my nose at the smell while taking in the room.
