Something is very wrong between them.
And as if the tension in the room were not already thick enough, the doors open again and three men walk in.
I recognise them instantly. Isaak Markev, Milo Markev—his cousin—and Arlo Vass.
All three are members of the Ferrum Syndicate, the very same syndicate whose party we attended only a few nights ago.
The same syndicate that has been the sworn enemy of the Thirteen Circle for years. They should not even be here.
They belong at Velmark Academy.
Stepping foot on our territory alone is enough to spark conflict between families, and by conflict, I mean war.
Death.
The leading power within the Thirteen Circle is the cartel, Adelaide’s family. The leading force behind the Ferrum Syndicate is the Bratva, Isaak Markev’s bloodline.
And the blood between them has been bad for longer than any of us have been alive.
Which means their presence here can only mean one thing.
Something has changed.
Or someone has made it change.
Chapter2
Piper
My eyes move slowly towards Adelaide.
She is watching them with a look that tells me everything I need to know.
She is behind this.
And I don’t like it.
Not one bit.
Still… whatever game she is playing, it’s not mine to solve, so long as my friends don’t get hurt.
The men take seats in the section reserved for the other private dormitory, and for some reason my stomach drops as my thoughts turn tohim.
If they are here… does that mean he is too?
But he is older than the rest. He is twenty eight, well past the age for university or further study. Surely he should be done with all of this by now.
Then again, I also know he is part of the Ferrum Syndicate. Finishing the academy doesn’t necessarily mean being done with it.
Unlikely, really.
Though truthfully, I don’t know exactly how they operate.
For me, once I finish the academy, I won’t be done with the Thirteen Circle either, but I will no longer be directly involved.
I will be heir in name only, the representative of my family, at least until I have children of my own to attend here and take my seat in representing our legacy.
Just thinking about him stirs feelings that should not be there. He lights a fire that should never have existed, and with those feelings comes guilt for wanting any of it.
