Page 3 of Wicked Games

“Several members of the alumni committee are heavily involved in justice projects, and they’ve recently decided to start one of their own with a bit of a twist. They had their lawyers bring them recent cases involving juvenile offenders, and they ended up picking you. They have enough power and influence to make your charges go away forever. In return, you accept the scholarship and attend Babylon for your final year of high school. Keep your head down and your grades up. Get a full-ride college offer. Go to—”

I cut him off. “I have to prove that I can actually be rehabilitated from my trashy criminal background, you mean. To make the alumni committee look good and feel good. Am I right?”

Tellier’s lips thinned. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it. But really, they’re trying to help, and this is a once-in-a lifetimeoffer. You’re very,veryfortunate to have received it.” He paused and raised a brow again. “As I said before, I suggest you take it, given the alternative.”

I still had a feeling something was very off about this deal, because it seemed highly suspicious for a group of rich folks to hand a literal Get Out Of Jail Free card to a random stranger on the off chance they might become rehabilitated. It was simply too good to be true, and every single person on the planet knew how things like that tended to turn out.

At the same time, I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?

If I was forced to choose between maintaining my innocence and risking prison or admitting my culpability and getting a free ride to the best private school in the country… well, the choice was glaringly obvious. As much as it begrudged me to admit it, this was an offer I simply couldn’t refuse.

“You could have a real future in this place, Carey,” Tellier added, nodding toward the brochure. “It’s an incredible school. The best of the best. It could be helpful to build connections in the town, too.”

I nodded slowly. Everyone knew about Babylon and the sort of connections you could build there, if you were ever invited into the fold. It was the richest coastal city for miles in this part of the state. Only fifteen miles from Oakfield but worlds away in terms of lifestyle.

“I guess so,” I murmured, hands knitting in my lap.

“So… what’s it going to be? Yes or no?” Tellier lifted his pen, letting it hover right over the signature box on the paperwork.

I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Yes,” I said. “I’ll take it.”

Carey

“So this is actually happening,” I mumbled to myself as I smoothed the fabric of my new tartan skirt, a mix of anticipation and fear coiling in the pit of my stomach.

The private driver that the Babylon Foundation had hired to transport me to the school had just maneuvered the car onto a winding coastal road, and the landscape of Babylon Prep was rapidly unfolding before me in a blur of rugged cliffs and crashing waves, each turn revealing glimpses of soaring pillars, imposing gray stone buildings, and spiked towers.

It looked nice in the brochure, but in person, Babylon Prep looked more like a Transylvanian vampire’s castle than a school for the well-heeled.

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Did you say something, Ms. Saracen?”

“Um… no. Just clearing my throat.” I swallowed hard and looked out the window again, taking in my new surroundings with wide eyes.

We passed an ornate sign that was partly obscured by creeping vines. BABYLON PREPARATORY ACADEMY. Beyond that, the open road narrowed into a private cobblestone driveflanked by towering trees, hedges, and manicured lawns leading up to the main building. As we drew closer, I spotted row after row of leering gargoyles staring down at me from the roof.

“Yup. Gotta be vampires living here,” I said under my breath as the driver pulled to a stop.

He grabbed my suitcase and bag from the back and escorted me to the administration office, where I was greeted by a friendly receptionist.

“Good morning,” she said, flashing me a cheerful smile. “How can I help you?”

“Morning.” I returned her smile. “I’m a new student here. I was told to come here before anything else.”

“Wonderful. Let me just check a few things…” She trailed off and bit her bottom lip as her fingertips clattered across the keyboard in front of her. She frowned at the screen briefly, then glanced back at me with another smile. “Sorry, I’m also quite new here,” she said. “It’s a bit of an adjustment, figuring out where to find everything on this computer system. By the way, what’s your name? I completely forgot to ask.”

“Carey Saracen. Sorry, I should have said that earlier.”

“Ah, yes, here we are.” She clicked on her mouse a couple of times, and a printer started whirring behind her. She turned to gather the documents, slid them into a folder, and handed them to me. “Here’s your class schedule, a campus map, and a welcome package that should answer any questions you might have. A school-issued laptop will be delivered to your dorm later today. Speaking of which…” She returned her attention to her computer. “I’ve put you in Dressler Hall, room 4. Your key should already be in the welcome package. If I remember correctly, Dressler is all the way over on the other side of campus, so it may take you a while to get there. I’ve made a note on the system that will allow you to miss homeroom thismorning. That way you won’t receive any penalties for being absent.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“It might also give you a bit of extra time to settle into your dorm and unpack a few things. Do you need help finding your way?”

I shook my head. “No, thanks. I should be fine with the map.”

“I’ll take her,” the driver piped up. “I have her bags already, so I might as well.”

I turned to him with a grateful expression. “Thank you.”

---