Page 10 of Devious Knight

Everything is there. From the pointed arches and gargoyles perching menacingly on the gables to the colossal monolithic statues of the forefathers and Viking gods dotted around the campus.

It’s the kind of painting that usually instills inspiration in me, but today my soul feels as conflicted and dark as the skies surrounding the demons.

The students applaud, pulling me from my depressing thoughts. I switch my attention back to Aleksander Ivanov, the leader of the Knights. Like the great emperor Marcus Aurelius, he’s standing on the platform in the center of the hall delivering his speech.

As always, Aleksander’s authoritative presence is enough to put the fear of God in all of us, no matter who you are, your father’s surname, or his net worth. But whatever he said—which I didn’t hear—has a few people nodding and smiling, and he seems pleased with himself.

With his fuller beard he almost looks like a version of Odin, which I suppose is fitting since the Knights were founded on old Viking beliefs, principles, and philosophies.

I can’t stand that man. There are very few people in this world I hate. He is one of them.

I’m sure he hates me, too. He went to school with my parents and would have been one of those who looked down on my mother for being with my father.

The leader of the Knights is also the Pakhan of the Komarovski Bratva. So it’s beyond me that the Knights treat the Bratva like a completely separate organization when it suits them. I’m sure that has a lot to do with our revered leader.

Asshole. It was him who called off the investigation after Mom’s death. He looked me in the eye and told me I’d made up hearing another person in the room the night Mom was killed.

“Excellentiam contende in omni tempore, in omnibus locis, et in omnibus quæ agis,” Aleksander booms in Latin, reminding us of the college motto, which translates to ‘strive for excellence at all times, in all places, and in all that you do.’

“Always remember that,” he continues. “This year I have a lot of expectations for you.”

He goes on to discuss what those expectations are and pumps us with positivity, reminding us who we are.

Like Raventhorn Academy, the university was specially set up for the heirs of the Knights, the Bratva, and their allies. But they take pride in being on par with, if not better than the Ivy league colleges and elite universities around the world.

Aleksander rehashes that fact, speaking fervently about goals and greatness, and I have to admit that regardless of my feelings toward him I’ll miss assemblies like these, too, when I’m gone.

Most of all I’ll miss my friends.

Mackenzie, Annika, Eilish and the twins, Sawyer and Savannah, have become like a bunch of sisters to me.

With the exception of Annika I’ve known the other girls all my life. We grew closer in our senior year of high school when we met Billie—who moved to Russia a few weeks ago with her boyfriend/soon-to-be husband.

I glance at my friends, a pang of guilt hitting me because I haven’t shared my plans with them yet. I’ve decided I’m not going to tell them until everything is finalized.

Going to Cambridge to study with Christian Degas is a great opportunity so I don’t want anyone reminding me that no one obsessed over going to Raventhorn more than me.

Mom made Raventhorn sound like something magical. And it is. It’s everything she said it would be.

I think she’d be as sad as Dad that I’m not going to finish my studies here. But like him, she’d understand the opportunity.

And like him, she might have picked up that I wasn’t being completely honest when I told my father that I’d be happier in England. I also said that there was nothing for me at Raventhorn.

I lied about those things because of Kade. Dad doesn’t know about my problems with him and I want to keep it that way.

My father and I have the kind of relationship where we can tell each other everything, but I kept Kade a secret because Dad has been through enough with the Knights over the years.

Dad doesn’t need my shit and I’m old enough now to make my own decisions.

Honestly, part of me has also had enough of the Knights, too.

I wanted nothing more than to carry on my parents’ legacy, especially Mom’s because she first fell in love with art here. But I’m tired of everything.

I’m tired of trying to fit in. And I’m tired of being treated like an outcast just because my mother didn’t marry a Knight. It’s all bullshit to me, so maybe the time has come for a change.

At Cambridge they won’t care about those things. Best of all there will be no Kade to drive me crazy.

Feeling like he’s watching me again, I look past Mackenzie, who’s on my left, and brave turning my head a little more so I can check to see if I’m correct.

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