Page 22 of A Fate Everlasting

“I gathered that much.” My laugh came out thin.

Ruby faced ahead, eyes on the prefects. “It’s full of the ones who didn’t make it. Verrine’s talent is rare. Legendary. Before her, people actually died. Those are the souls that save students.”

“Ghosts saving students. Resurrection.” I shook my head. “I’ve had enough for one night.”

“Yeah, but—” Her smile flickered. “They don’t save justanyone.”

I bit down on the question that wanted out, but it slipped anyway. “Why me, then?”

She glanced at my necklace, eyes bright beneath the moonlight. “Maybe ask yourself what’s in your blood.”

I rolled the tension off my shoulders, rain spitting lightly from the sky. My hands were trembling. The gravel path blurred. I didn’t want to believe her, but my heart skipped like itdid. “My blood?”

“Normal girls don’t walk away from a ninety-foot fall. If you survived, that means you’re meant to be here. That means you’re Luminari.”

“Luminari?” Ahead, the prefects turned onto the main road. Ruby’s words lingered like frost against my skin.

“A Luminari is a daughter or son of the Heavens,” she continued. “Born with celestial blood that gives them the power to Ascend into Angels or Fall into Daemons under the right conditions. With the right guidance.”

I shook my head. “You’re insane.” My voice came out rough, broken. “Utterly, completely insane.” But I knew she wasn’t. Because I had heard that word before, though I pretended it wasn’t true.

My Mom had called me it every night before bed. It had always sounded like nonsense. It was just a pet name. My pulse surged in my ears. I was walking through fog, through memory, through things I hadn’t thought about in years. Had she known all along she wanted to send me here? Had she alwaysmeantfor me to?

My Luminari girl.I thought it was maybe Latin, something from her research. Now, I wasn’t so sure. One thing was certain in all of this. I needed to get thehellout of here.

10

Igrimaced as my hand stuck to the cardboard coaster, which was cemented to the table with a thick coating of dried-down beer. Everything in here was sticky with it, even the drunkards with the toothless grins in the corner of the room feeding coins into the slot machines.

The Crossed Keys reeked of yeasty ales and air gone stale with regret. It clung to the walls, soaked into the floorboards, and whispered in the dim glow of the hanging lights. I wasn’t sure a place like this would have a phone.

I grabbed a free bar stool beside Hugo and Rosaline, eyeing the three unfamiliar prefects across the table.

“What’s your drink?” Dorian asked.

“Diet coke,” I said flatly, and he laughed at my simple answer, returning to the bar. I needed to hold myself together long enough that I could escape. I tried to recall the lawyer’s phone number in my mind. It was something easy, like 808 – 777…

I fiddled with the bag on my lap, my eyes flitting occasionally to Hugo. Why had he come here? He had everything going for him. It didn’t make sense that he’d join a college like this.

But clearly Evermore was easier on some students. Hugo hadn’t been dragged to initiation. He’d been given a suite.

“You look lost in thought.” Hugo’s voice was butterscotch-sweet. I blinked a few times, as if that could clear the thoughts that were circling my mind.

“It’s just a lot to take in,” I admitted, my grip tightening on the bag. I cast a look over my shoulder at the barkeep. There didn’t seem to be a phone near the register.

“I thought so too,” Hugo admitted, smiling generously. He really was gorgeous. Not in the way you expected an actor to be, beautiful on screen but disappointing in person. “We were very lucky to be admitted this late into the year. I wanted to start in September, but I had delays, scheduling conflicts.” He shrugged.

“The world thinks you’re missing.” I hardly noticed when Dorian slammed a bright red drink in front of me.I took a sip gingerly. Vodka cranberry. Notthe drink I had requested. “You’d ditch your career for—” I scanned the room. “This?”

“Of course.” He blinked like I’d said something outrageous. “Everyone has to leave something behind, don’t they? For a chance?”

A chance at what?I wanted to ask.

“Relax, Davenant. Have a drink.” Dorian propped his elbows on the table, eyes glinting. “You’re a confirmed Luminari. You were saved. That’s something worth celebrating.”

“I’m not in the mood.” My fingers curled around the cold glass in front of me, my grip so tight I could feel the pulse in my fingers.

Dorian ran a finger along the rim of his whiskey glass. The candlelight carved angles into his jaw, shadowing the cruel lines of his mouth. He lifted a brow slowly.“Are you a fan of card games, Davenant?”

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