Page 12 of A Fate Everlasting

I let Ruby go on ahead, claiming I needed fresh air. “Don’t stay to long,” she warned, but nodded knowingly.Hang back after dinner if you want to find out what this place truly is.

I didn’t have a choice. I had no explanation from my parents, no fair reason I needed to attend Evermore. I needed answers. I planned to wait and find out exactly what the older students were hiding from us.

I pressed deeper into the shadowed arch, letting the ivy-draped pillar shield me from view, closing my eyes and letting my pulse steady. It took a moment, longer than I’d expected.

Then, a cluster of footsteps sounded. Another group approached the hall, their movements rhythmic. I rubbed my temples, blinking away the jet-lagged heaviness from my eyelids.

They moved in eerie synchrony, their robes shifting like liquid shadow. The air around thembent, as though even the world recognized their difference, their postures impossibly poised and their movements too fluid. They reminded me of Russian ballet dancers in the final act of a performance only they understood.

But that wasn’t the strangest part. The strangest part was the wings. They rose behind them like veils of silk and shadow, some vast and feathered, others sleek as polished glass. A few shimmered like mirages, flickering between seen and unseen, as though they weren’t meant to exist in this realm at all.

Some were white, others black, but most had the burnished, iridescent sheen of oil slicks under moonlight streaked with otherwordly color. They looked real.Too real.

I blinked hard, trying to rationalize what I was seeing. Costume, or some kind of ceremonial dress code. But Verrine had explicitly stated that this place didnothave a drama department.

My swallow was loud in my ears as I tugged my necklace along the chain. This didn’t answer any of my questions. In fact, I had about a million more. One thing was clear. Whatever happened between this year and the nextchangedyou in a way so significant it had to be hidden.

I needed more. More context, more information. I strained my ears, peeling away from the pillar to get a closer look.

“Can’t wait to watch the lowers take the Rift.”

“Do you think she’ll make it?”

“Nah. She doesn’t have a chance.”

Laughter, featherlight, spun like sand forging into glass through the cold air. My throat tightened, my body ahead of something my mind could not understand.

I knew better than to ignore my fear. The yoga classes I took had taught me that, to listen to my body more. It was often wiser.

And so was the Thread, the voice in the back of my mind that had always tried to guide me. It had warned me not to come here, and it was right. If I stayed, this place would change me forever, mould me into one ofthem.My inheritance wasn’t worth losing myself. I had to get out of here.

“Quiet now.” In the crowd of Upper Sixth students, I spotted the Cavendish’s son. Dorian. “Reserve your chatter forinsidethe dining hall please. Some of the Lower Sixth may have their windows open.”

I jumped, fingers like iron clamping down on my shoulder.

“Rules at Evermore are an obligation, not a suggestion, Miss Davenant.” As if summoned Verrine stood over me, her lips pursed. “Not the best first impression, is it? Lower Sixth supper is held from seven to eight. You should be in your common room by now, not lurking where you don’t belong.”

“I am notlurking,” I folded my arms. I tried to remind myself that I had done nothing wrong. This was my first night, and I had questions. “I fled from the dining hall, actually. One of your students is crazy, Verrine. I think he’s dangerous. He attacked another student.” I refused to be the first to look away, though her yellowish eyes were uncomfortable to meet.

Her expression didn’t waver. “Headmistress Cavendish,” she corrected smoothly. “Follow me. What a shame to get detention on your first night.”

Detention? I clenched my jaw. She made it sound like I’dgotten a poor grade, not watched a boy nearly strangle someone with his bare hands.

“I want to speak to my lawyer.” My voice pitched, heat surging beneath my skin. “This place isn’t a good fit. I’ve changed my mind.”

Verrine didn’t stop walking. Her ridiculous, sweeping skirts barely shifted with each step. I followed.

“Why are the students wearing wings?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them, my pulse still thrumming.

Verrine didn’t break stride, nor did she glance at me. “Observant. Good. You’ll need that.”

“That's not an answer.” I clenched my fists. “To either question.”

A quiet, amused exhale. “No, it isn’t.” We turned a corner, the candlelight stretching long shadows across the walls. Verrine’s voice came softer this time. “The Upper Sixth have taken the Rift. Their souls are bound to Evermore now, tethered to something far greater than themselves.”

My skin prickled. Good to confirm this was a cult, then.“Okay. And the wings?”

She finally looked at me, her eyes gleaming. “Simply a reflection of what awaits them.”

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