Chapter 6

• Zara’s POV
• The first thing that yanked me out of sleep was the bell.
• A deep, echoing sound, like some ancient church bell, but louder, and heavier. It reverberated through my bones, dragging me out of whatever restless dream had tangled me in sweat-damp sheets.
• Groaning, I rolled over, groping at the alarm on the nightstand. The screen glared back at me: 5:49 AM.
• “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, voice hoarse with sleep.
• The bell sounded again, each strike vibrating the glass of the window. I squeezed my eyes shut. Why the hell was the bell going off at this hour?
• Then I remembered, this wasn’t just any school.
• This is Blackwood.
• Where monsters schooled behind beautiful faces.
• Where vampires, I’d overheard, sometimes went for their early-morning hunts, returning before the sun could burn their pale skin to ash.
• The bell. It wasn’t for us. It was for them.
• I forced myself to sit up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold beneath my feet.
• I shuffled to the window, rubbing my arms against the chill. Outside, the grounds were bathed in silver moonlight. The bell tolled again in the distance, and I thought I saw shadows darting between trees, too fast to be human.
• A shiver rippled down my spine.
• And then I saw it, a mark.
• Right at the corner of my windowpane, deep scratches in the glass. At first glance, it looked random, maybe a bird, like I told myself.
• But as I squinted, I saw it was deliberate. Three vertical lines, intersected by one jagged diagonal slash.
• My fingers hovered over the cold glass.
• Nope. Nope. Not dealing with this right now. I stepped back, drew the curtains, and muttered, “Probably just some bird.”
• But even as I turned away, my skin prickled like unseen eyes were watching me.
• ….
• By the time I made it to the dining hall, the place was buzzing, but not in a good way.
• Voices were low, urgent, whispering behind hands. I could feel the tension thick in the air as I walked past tables, students huddled in clusters, heads bent together.
• I slid onto the bench beside Talia, who didn’t greet me with her usual bright smile. Instead, her brow was furrowed, her eyes darting nervously around the hall.
• “What’s going on?” I asked, grabbing a piece of toast I didn’t really want.
• “You didn’t hear?” she whispered, leaning closer.
• “Hear what?”
• She glanced around like someone might be listening. “A student went missing last night.”
• I froze, toast halfway to my mouth. “Missing? Like….what do you mean missing?”
• Talia shrugged, wide-eyed. “No one’s saying his name. But everyone knows. He didn’t come back after dark. Gone. Poof.”
• My stomach twisted. “But, why won’t they say his name?”
• Talia shivered. “It’s some kind of unspoken rule. Like saying it out loud will make you the next one.”
• I set the toast down. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore.
• I looked toward the front of the hall where the staff sat. Even them seemed on edge, their eyes sweeping the room, their faces tight with worry.
• Mrs. Thorn stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the stone floor. The chatter died instantly.
• Her sharp gaze swept over us all.
• “Listen carefully,” she said, her voice echoeing through the silence . “No student is to leave their dorm after dark. Not for any reason. This applies to all students, yes, even vampires.”
• A low murmur rippled through the room, but no one dared challenge her.
• Her gaze lingered on me for a beat too long, as if she knew I was the type to test the rules.
• As the tension seemed to ease, the doors to the hall creaked open.
• And in they came. Atlas and his crew.
• It was like watching a storm roll in. Every head turned, whispers rising, admiration mingled with unease. The girls at the table beside ours straightened, smoothing their hair, casting hopeful glances.
• Atlas didn’t spare them a look. His gaze swept the room and, of course, landed right on me.
• That same infuriating, unreadable look.
• Dark eyes that seemed to see straight through me.
• I scowled and turned back to my plate, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
• Talia smirked beside me. “Okay, seriously, what’s with that? You two got some secret beef or something?”
• I snorted. “I don’t have beef with him. I don’t even know him.”
• “Could’ve fooled me.”
• “I don’t care what Atlas King thinks of me.”
• Talia waggled her brows. “You sure? Because the way he looks at you…”
• “I’m sure.”
• …
• Breakfast dragged on, tension rising. I was done pretending to eat, so I pushed my tray away and stood.
• Talia’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist.
• “Zara, wait. You’re not supposed to leave until they leave.” She flicked her eyes toward Atlas’s table.
• I frowned. “Why?”
• “Because… it’s just how it is. No one crosses paths with Atlas and his crew unless they want trouble.”
• I laughed under my breath. “I’m not scared of him.”
• Talia looked like she wanted to argue, but I was already stepping past the table.
• And that’s when it happened.
• The boy sitting opposite me, tall, lanky, with nervous energy radiating off him shifted his foot. Right onto mine.
• “Hey,” I said, wincing. “You’re on my foot.”
• I reached out, lightly touching his arm to get his attention.
• The moment my fingers brushed his sleeve, he flinched hard. His eyes snapped up to mine. Stormy gray, wide with something like fear.
• He jerked back like my touch burned him. I stared.
• “Sorry,” I said, confused.
• He didn’t answer. Just grabbed his tray and left, shoulders hunched, head down.
• I stood there for a beat, the weirdness of it all settling over me. Atlas’s gaze was still on me. I could feel it like a fungus on my skin.
• I straightened my shoulders, refusing to look at him.
• “Come on, Talia,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Let’s go before this place sucks out my soul.”