Page 11 of A Fate Everlasting

“I asked if you had a talent,” I corrected. Everyone here spoke in riddles. I didn’t understand a thing about the curriculum or the strange rules. I needed someone to be direct with me.

“Whatever.” She shrugged. “Point is, everyone at Evermore is gifted in some way or another, Arabella. Including you.”

I scoffed. “Hardly.”

Ruby didn’t laugh, and she didn’t blink. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

I let out a snort, pushing my food around with the tip of my fork.

“Do you believe in Angels?” Ruby asked.

More religion talk. It was such a strange question, it caught me off guard. After everything, I should’ve said no, but I wasn’t sure anymore. I stabbed at my mashed potatoes, pretending to think about it. “No. I mean, not really. I went to a meditation class once. They talked about feathers being signs of guardian Angels.” The thought sat in my stomach like I was sure the stodge on my plate would.Angels. Death. Heaven.I didn’t want to think about any of it right now.

“Guardian Angels aren’t real.” Ruby smirked. “And?”

“And I thought it was nonsense.” I rolled my eyes, and her eyes blinked a little too hard. I’d upset her. She didn’t know what had happened to my parents, the question wasn’t her fault. I softened my tone, forcing a smile. “Why?”

“I’m only trying to help.” Ruby dropped her fork, her face now shifting to concern. “You show up here at the end of term, you look tired asElsewhere,and you don’t even know why you’re here. That’s dangerous.”

“I know I won’t keep up.” I took a bite of the potatoes.Bland.I snatched the salt shaker and poured liberally. I’d had friends like her before. Ruby reminded me of Lily. Dramatic as hell and sensitive, too. I would have put money on her being a cancer. “My grades were poor at home, too. But I don’t care about any of that anymore. I’m just here to graduate. That’s it.”

“Graduate?” Her wide eyes turned steely, her lips pressing together. “You’d be lucky to get that far. We all would. If you want to know what Evermore really is, you’ll have to start paying attention.” Her tone made my chest tighten. “Hang back a little after dinner. You’ll see what I mean.”

I was about to protest when a loud scream rang out from behind us. My head snapped up as a table next to us clattered, plates flying. Marcus barely had time to move before Dante was on him, fingers wrapped tight around his throat, pinning him against the table with a force that rattled the plates.

“Daemon,” Marcus spat, bloodied lips curling. “We all know what you are. We’re all praying you won’t survive the Rift.”

“Praying?” Dante swung, and Marcus spat blood, wiping the smile from his face. “The saints can’t help you.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t combust the second you stepped foot in Evermore. Is it true, Darkblood? What they say about you?” The words barely left Marcus’s mouth before Dante stilled, the energy around him shifting. “Or is it just a lie you made up for attention?”

Dante didn’t answer. He just stopped, grip on Marcus’ collar wavering. A shiver ran down the length of my spine, the sound of the room muffling. Suddenly, Dante’s head snapped toward me. I saw it then, the look in his eyes. Not gray anymore but silver, shifting like vials of mercury.

He dropped his grip on Marcus, straightening as he took a slow step toward my table, lips slightly parted as though he wanted to tell me something.

Marcus gasped, clutching his throat, attention snapping to me as if he werejust nowrealizing I was standing there at all. My scalp prickled, and for a breath I felt temptation. Like if I held Dante Darkblood’s gaze, invited him, I might get the answers I was seeking.

“Arabella.” Ruby’s voice cut through the air, panicked. She reached for my arm. “Let’s getoutof here.”

I didn’t move. Couldn’t move. My limbs felt weighted, frozen to the bench like the moment itself had locked me inside it.

“Right now,” she begged, her voice distant. I could not tearmyself from Dante. For a moment, there were only the two of us in the dining hall.

My fingers found my necklace, gripping the metal so hard it left an imprint against my palm. A silent prayer lodged in my throat.Mom, help me.

I forced my head to turn, to break eye contact. Ruby was right, Dante was dangerous, and there was something very wrong about this place.

Dante took another step forward. My vision blurred, and the only part of my body I could seem to move were my eyelids. I blinked, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Something gleamed in his eyes, almost like recognition.

“Arabella, move!”Ruby screamed.

This time, I ran.

5

Adrenaline unbound me as I tore through the labyrinth of tables, the world smearing into a blur of candlelight and stone and shadow. The only thing I could see, the only thing that still existed, were Dante’s eyes, gleaming like molten metal in the dark. A scream coiled in my throat, something within me itching to be released, but fear had already turned my blood to wildfire. It burned through me as I staggered into the corridor.

The rest of the Lower Sixth quickly followed, undeterred, their chatter blending into the night air, except for Dante Darkblood. He had to be on something. Some kind of drug. No one paid me any attention, which was a small mercy. I let the breeze cut through the heat on my face as I rested against a stone pillar.

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